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Albemarle vs Johnson Matthey: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Johnson Matthey holds the cleaner structural position, with profitability as the main driver and growth adding further support. Albemarle does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Peer scores are normalised within each company's primary universe (ALB: S&P 500, JMAT.L: STOXX 600).

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across profitability and growth, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. The overall score gap is 18 points in favour of Johnson Matthey Plc.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Chemicals

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. ALB and JMAT.L share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Albemarle and Johnson Matthey each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
ALB
Albemarle Corporation
53
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
JMAT.L
Johnson Matthey Plc
71
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: STOXX 600

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

Score differences across key dimensions.

Dimension spread: ALB vs JMAT.L Profitability 35 74 Stability 23 35 Valuation 83 83 Growth 63 86 ALB JMAT.L
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +39
#2 Growth +23
#3 Stability +12
#4 Valuation
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ALB and JMAT.L Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ALBJMAT.L Relative valuation Structural strength

Johnson Matthey Plc looks stronger on relative valuation, while the broader price setup remains mixed.

Valuation position uses Forward P/E where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ALB and JMAT.L each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ALB Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 17 pct gap JMAT.L Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 59th 76th
Today ALB sits in the upper-middle of its own 5-year history (59th percentile), while JMAT.L sits higher in its own history (76th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, ALB is at a historically more favourable entry position than JMAT.L. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Johnson Matthey Plc ranks near the top of the group on profitability; Albemarle Corporation sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the edge is clear — both rank well, but Johnson Matthey Plc sits noticeably higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
ALB
35
JMAT.L
74
Gap+39in favour of JMAT.L

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 20.6-point ROIC advantage.

What else supports the lead

Growth also supports the lead, so the result is broader than one isolated gap.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability is the clearest driver, and growth also supports Johnson Matthey Plc's broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ALB vs JMAT.L comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-and-growth comparisons

Explore how ALB and JMAT.L each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.