Stocks analysis

AEP vs ALB Stock Comparison

Scores Breakdown

Metric AEP ALB
📈 Growth 12/30 27/30
💰 Profitability 14/20 15/20
🏦 Financial Health 14/20 18/20
💵 Valuation 15/20 14/20
⚠️ Risk (lower is better) 5/10 7/10
Overall Score 60/100 77/100

Side-by-Side Summaries

AEP Analysis ALB Analysis

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Across the 8 quarters, Revenues rose from about $4.70B (2024 Q3) to $5.45B (2026 Q2), a ~16% gain, but with volatility (peak around $6.01B in 2025 Q3 and dips in several quarters). Net income ranged from about $0.92B (2024 Q3) to a high of about $1.29B (2025 Q2), ending near $0.75B in 2026 Q2. The trajectory shows modest top-line growth with mixed earnings momentum; the end result is below the initial earnings level despite higher revenue.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

Operating margins have generally trended in the mid-20s percent across several quarters (roughly mid-20s in 2024 Q4 and 2025 Q3; about 23% in 2026 Q2). Cash flow from operations remained positive in most periods (roughly $1.2B–$1.9B), while investing activities were sizable and often negative, pressuring overall free cash flow. Net cash flow patterns reflect ongoing capital spending typical of a regulated utility.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Total assets run around $110B–$122B with equity in the $27B–$33B range and long-term debt near $42B–$50B. Liabilities exceed current assets in several quarters, yielding weaker near-term liquidity (current ratio often below 1). Still, a large asset base and regulated cash flows provide resilience, with debt levels offset by steady rate recovery.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

  • Drivers: Regulated utility demand and rate recovery leverage, ongoing energy transition investments.
  • Risks: Interest-rate/regulatory sensitivity and capital-intensity; earnings can remain volatile around quarterly shifts in demand and tax items.

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Across eight quarters, ALBEMARLE shows modest revenue growth from about $1.43B in 2024-Q2 to $1.74B in 2026-Q2, a gain of ~22%. Net income evolved from a loss of about -$176.6M to a positive $499.2M in 2026-Q2, with a mid-2025 dip, then a clear recovery into 2026.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

Gross margin expanded from a negative figure in 2024-Q2 to roughly 35% in 2025-Q1 and remained around the high 30% into 2026. Operating leverage benefited from higher margin production in later quarters. Net cash flow from operating activities, continuing, stayed strong, with $709.997M in 2026-Q2 and positive quarterly cash generation overall. Free cash flow was primarily consumed by investing activities, which were negative but the company still reported a positive overall cash flow in 2026-Q2.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Total assets of about $15.9B and equity of ~$10.5B support a solid balance sheet. Current assets of roughly $3.9B and current liabilities of $1.89B yield a healthy current ratio around 2.1x. Long-term debt remains moderate at about $1.88B, keeping balance-sheet risk contained.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

  • Drivers: Lithium/alloy battery demand; EV and energy-storage deployment
  • Risks: commodity-price cyclicality; execution/valuation sensitivity to macro conditions