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U.S. Specialty Chemicals Industry Analysis

UpdatedJun 26, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies62
  • 7D1.0%
  • 3M7.0%
  • 1Y9.9%
  • YTDn/a

Over the last 7 days, the Specialty Chemicals industry has risen 1.0%, driven by gains from Sherwin-Williams of 5.7%. Meanwhile, Albemarle actually underperformed within the industry, shrinking 12% in the last week. This takes the industry's 12 month performance to a gain of 9.9%. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 19% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.S. Specialty Chemicals Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Fri, 26 Jun 2026US$370.4bUS$152.0bUS$7.9b26.1x46.6x2.4x
Sun, 24 May 2026US$353.5bUS$151.2bUS$7.7b26.7x45.9x2.3x
Tue, 21 Apr 2026US$376.6bUS$149.5bUS$5.8b32.3x65.3x2.5x
Thu, 19 Mar 2026US$349.8bUS$149.4bUS$5.8b29.6x60x2.3x
Sat, 14 Feb 2026US$390.6bUS$150.7bUS$3.8b33.4x103x2.6x
Mon, 12 Jan 2026US$358.6bUS$156.3bUS$4.7b26.6x75.5x2.3x
Wed, 10 Dec 2025US$325.7bUS$156.1bUS$4.8b24.4x68.2x2.1x
Fri, 07 Nov 2025US$322.1bUS$156.3bUS$6.3b24.4x51.1x2.1x
Sun, 05 Oct 2025US$340.7bUS$150.9bUS$5.1b27.5x66.8x2.3x
Tue, 02 Sep 2025US$352.6bUS$150.6bUS$5.1b28x69.3x2.3x
Thu, 31 Jul 2025US$336.3bUS$152.8bUS$4.4b24.7x76.7x2.2x
Sat, 28 Jun 2025US$332.7bUS$154.5bUS$5.4b22.2x61.6x2.2x
Mon, 26 May 2025US$331.0bUS$154.6bUS$4.3b22.1x77.1x2.1x
Wed, 23 Apr 2025US$300.6bUS$155.6bUS$6.5b18.9x46x1.9x
Fri, 21 Mar 2025US$341.2bUS$155.7bUS$6.6b22.6x52x2.2x
Sun, 16 Feb 2025US$365.5bUS$155.4bUS$6.4b23.5x57.1x2.4x
Tue, 14 Jan 2025US$338.4bUS$158.3bUS$5.5b22.8x61.3x2.1x
Thu, 12 Dec 2024US$375.2bUS$158.3bUS$5.5b24.5x68.4x2.4x
Sat, 09 Nov 2024US$385.9bUS$158.9bUS$5.7b26x68x2.4x
Mon, 07 Oct 2024US$394.7bUS$162.0bUS$7.1b26.1x55.4x2.4x
Wed, 04 Sep 2024US$390.4bUS$164.0bUS$6.7b26.8x58.1x2.4x
Fri, 02 Aug 2024US$369.3bUS$158.5bUS$6.6b27.2x56.3x2.3x
Sun, 30 Jun 2024US$351.7bUS$159.1bUS$7.5b28.6x46.9x2.2x
Tue, 28 May 2024US$358.8bUS$156.5bUS$7.5b28.1x47.7x2.3x
Thu, 25 Apr 2024US$342.3bUS$158.5bUS$8.7b25.6x39.3x2.2x
Sat, 23 Mar 2024US$366.0bUS$158.6bUS$8.5b28.2x42.9x2.3x
Mon, 19 Feb 2024US$343.1bUS$158.7bUS$11.2b27.4x30.6x2.2x
Wed, 17 Jan 2024US$353.5bUS$165.5bUS$13.4b27.5x26.4x2.1x
Fri, 15 Dec 2023US$347.6bUS$164.6bUS$13.0b30.2x26.7x2.1x
Sun, 12 Nov 2023US$305.7bUS$165.1bUS$13.0b25.9x23.4x1.9x
Tue, 10 Oct 2023US$310.0bUS$165.4bUS$10.5b20.1x29.6x1.9x
Thu, 07 Sep 2023US$333.6bUS$165.4bUS$10.4b22.7x31.9x2x
Sat, 05 Aug 2023US$342.5bUS$165.6bUS$10.3b22.7x33.3x2.1x
Mon, 03 Jul 2023US$341.6bUS$165.0bUS$9.9b20.6x34.3x2.1x
Price to Earnings Ratio

34.3x


Total Market Cap: US$341.6bTotal Earnings: US$9.9bTotal Revenue: US$165.0bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.S. Specialty Chemicals Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 63.7x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are pessimistic on the American Specialty Chemicals industry, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates will be lower than they have historically.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 46.6x which is lower than its 3-year average PE of 63.7x.
  • The 3-year average PS ratio of 3.1x is higher than the industry's current PS ratio of 2.4x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Specialty Chemicals industry have declined 7.2% per year over the last three years,
  • Revenues have also declined 2.7% per year.
  • This means overall sales from these companies are declining and profits are subsequently falling as well.

Industry Comparison

How does U.S. Specialty Chemicals compare with similar industries?

US Market-2.68%
Materials-1.84%
Chemicals0.72%
Specialty Chemicals1.00%
Fertilizers and Agricultural Chemicals2.04%
Industrial Gases1.54%
Commodity Chemicals-5.56%
Diversified Chemicals-6.11%
Industry PEThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.
Forecasted GrowthThere are no additional sub-industries under this industry.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
SHW Sherwin-WilliamsUS$344.077.3%
+US$5.7b		-0.5%PE32.5x
ECL EcolabUS$283.655.4%
+US$4.1b		6.1%PE37.9x
PPG PPG IndustriesUS$123.244.2%
+US$1.1b		8.0%PE17.4x
RPM RPM InternationalUS$112.464.1%
+US$569.2m		1.7%PE21.6x
SXT Sensient TechnologiesUS$120.185.9%
+US$285.2m		22.1%PE35.5x

Latest News

NGVT
US$77.12
Ingevity
7D
5.1%
1Y
77.9%
KWR
US$160.63
Quaker Chemical
7D
7.0%
1Y
39.5%
SOLS
US$82.69
Solstice Advanced Materials
7D
-3.4%
1Y
n/a
CE
US$49.42
Celanese
7D
-3.4%
1Y
-12.9%
Narrative Update • Jun 25

CE: Sustainable Materials Partnerships Will Support Future Upside Potential

Analysts kept their $64.00 price target on Celanese steady, citing updated assumptions that now reflect a discount rate of 11.41%, revenue growth of 1.60%, a profit margin of 8.66%, and a forward P/E of 11.29x. They view these assumptions as better aligning the stock with current risk and earnings expectations.
DD
US$137.22
DuPont de Nemours
7D
-4.1%
1Y
-33.6%
RPM
US$112.46
RPM International
7D
4.1%
1Y
1.7%
EMN
US$70.71
Eastman Chemical
7D
-2.5%
1Y
-7.2%
ALB
US$133.70
Albemarle
7D
-16.6%
1Y
105.9%
Seeking Alpha • Jun 24

Albemarle: Why $20 Lithium Changes Everything

Summary Albemarle Corporation is rated Buy with a 12-month price target of $205, reflecting strong earnings leverage to recovering lithium prices. Q1 results demonstrate robust financial improvement: net sales up 33% YoY, adjusted EBITDA up 148%, and FCF at $248 million, driven by higher lithium prices and volumes. Grid-scale energy storage is emerging as a major lithium demand driver, with battery order books full through 2027 and demand growth trending above guidance. ALB's healthy balance sheet—$2.7B liquidity, 1x net debt/EBITDA, no major maturities until 2028—supports profitable growth and cushions against commodity price volatility. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
PRM
US$34.40
Perimeter Solutions
7D
-8.9%
1Y
146.1%
New Narrative • Jun 24

Fire Contracts And M&A Pipeline Will Shape A Steady But Limited Earnings Recovery

Catalysts About Perimeter Solutions Perimeter Solutions supplies fire retardants, suppressants and specialty chemicals to government and industrial customers. What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
ECL
US$283.65
Ecolab
7D
5.4%
1Y
6.1%
SHW
US$344.07
Sherwin-Williams
7D
7.3%
1Y
-0.5%
Analysis Article • Jun 22

Sherwin Williams (SHW) Stock Could Be 14% Undervalued After Earnings And Outlook Hold

Why Sherwin-Williams Stock Is Back in Focus After Earnings and Financing Moves Sherwin-Williams (SHW) is drawing fresh investor attention after reporting revenues that exceeded analyst expectations, confirming full-year guidance and, separately, extending $200,000,000 in credit commitments out to 2031. The earnings report highlighted what management described as strong sales in a challenging global environment with demand softness still present. However, the stock moved lower after the...
SQM
US$71.59
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile
7D
-10.2%
1Y
104.5%
Narrative Update • Jun 22

SQM: Lithium Volume Expansion And Rebound Pricing Will Support 2026 Earnings

Analysts have raised the fair value estimate for Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile to $110 from $106, reflecting updated views on revenue growth, profit margins, and lithium pricing that are in line with recent price target increases across the Street, even where ratings remain cautious. Analyst Commentary Recent research on Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile points to a mixed but generally constructive tone, with several bullish analysts lifting price targets following the company’s Q1 results and updated guidance.
ASH
US$63.94
Ashland
7D
-5.9%
1Y
26.1%
Analysis Article • Jun 20

Ashland (ASH) Stock Could Be 26.4% Below Fair Value After Recent Rally

Ashland (ASH) has drawn attention after recent share price gains over the past month and past 3 months, prompting investors to reassess how its specialty chemicals mix and current valuation metrics align with its fundamentals. See our latest analysis for Ashland. At a share price of $67.92, Ashland has seen strong recent momentum, with a 30 day share price return of 20.73% and a 1 year total shareholder return of 43.33%, contrasting with weaker 3 and 5 year total shareholder returns. If...
PPG
US$123.24
PPG Industries
7D
4.2%
1Y
8.0%
Analysis Article • Jun 19

PPG Industries (PPG) Stock Could Be 32% Below Fair Value After Aerospace Analyst Backing

PPG Industries (PPG) is back in focus after recent analyst reports spotlighted its aerospace business, citing prospects across commercial, business, and military markets, along with advantages in sealants, adhesives, and engineered materials. See our latest analysis for PPG Industries. At a share price of $118.25, PPG Industries has seen a 16.27% 1 month share price return and a 21.63% 3 month share price return, while the 1 year total shareholder return of 12.16% contrasts with declines over...
SXT
US$120.18
Sensient Technologies
7D
5.9%
1Y
22.1%
Narrative Update • Jun 16

SXT: Fair Outlook Balances Higher EPS Guidance With Execution And Margin Risks

The analyst fair value estimate for Sensient Technologies has been updated from $95 to $124, reflecting a revised view on revenue, profit margin and long-term P/E assumptions that aligns with the more constructive stance recently outlined by analysts in Street research. Analyst Commentary on Sensient Technologies Stock Recent Street research around Sensient Technologies has centered on reassessing fair value in light of updated expectations for revenue, margins and long term P/E assumptions.
BCPC
US$171.22
Balchem
7D
3.2%
1Y
8.1%