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Element Solutions vs RPM International: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

RPM International holds the cleaner structural position, with valuation as the main driver and growth adding further support. Element Solutions does not offset that deficit through any equally strong structural edge elsewhere. In the market, Element Solutions carries the stronger setup — intact trend against RPM International's broken trend. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with RPM International, but the market is not currently confirming it.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

Most of the visible separation comes from valuation. The overall score gap is 23 points in favour of RPM International Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Chemicals

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. ESI and RPM share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Element Solutions and RPM International each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
ESI
Element Solutions Inc
44
Peer-Score
Signal qualityHigh
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
RPM
RPM International Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: Russell 1000

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

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: ESI vs RPM Profitability 55 55 Stability 47 58 Valuation 27 84 Growth 50 68 ESI RPM
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +57
#2 Growth +18
#3 Stability +11
#4 Profitability
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ESI and RPM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ESIRPM Relative valuation Structural strength

RPM International Inc. looks stronger both structurally and on relative valuation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ESI and RPM each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ESI Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 20 pct gap RPM Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 79th
Today RPM sits in the upper portion of its own 5-year history (79th percentile), while ESI sits higher in its own history (99th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, RPM is at a historically more favourable entry position than ESI. 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
Valuation
On valuation, RPM International Inc. ranks near the top of the group; Element Solutions Inc sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but RPM International Inc. still sits higher.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
ESI
27
RPM
84
Gap+57in favour of RPM

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 2.5 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Element Solutions Inc still carries lower volatility exposure — that difference is real enough to prevent the comparison from becoming one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Valuation is the clearest driver, and growth also supports RPM International Inc.'s broader structural position.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ESI vs RPM comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar valuation-driven comparisons

Explore how ESI and RPM 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.