Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) & Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY) Head-To-Head Contrast

Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY) and Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability and valuation.

Dividends

Air Liquide pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Innospec pays an annual dividend of $1.74 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Innospec pays out -5,800.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Innospec has increased its dividend for 11 consecutive years. Innospec is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Risk and Volatility

Air Liquide has a beta of 0.85, meaning that its stock price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Innospec has a beta of 1.06, meaning that its stock price is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Air Liquide and Innospec’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Air Liquide	N/A	N/A	N/A
Innospec	1.08%	10.89%	7.70%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Air Liquide and Innospec, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Air Liquide	0	3	2	1	2.67
Innospec	2	0	0	1	2.00

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.0% of Air Liquide shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.6% of Innospec shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of Innospec shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Air Liquide and Innospec”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Air Liquide	$29.28 billion	3.74	$3.58 billion	N/A	N/A
Innospec	$1.79 billion	0.98	$35.60 million	($0.03)	-2,353.17

Air Liquide has higher revenue and earnings than Innospec.

Summary

Innospec beats Air Liquide on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Air Liquide

L'Air Liquide S.A. provides gases, technologies, and services for the industrial and health sectors in Europe, the Americas, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates in Gas & Services, Engineering & Construction, and Global Markets & Technologies segments. The Gas & Services segment comprises large industries business, which offers gas and energy solutions including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide, as well as operates cogeneration plants to supply steam and electricity to metals, chemicals, refining, and energy industries; and industrial merchant business line provides industrial gases, equipment, hardgoods, and associated services to materials and energy, automotive and manufacturing, food and pharmaceuticals, technology and research, and craftsmen and retail sectors. This segment also includes healthcare business, which provides medical gases, home healthcare services, medical equipment, and specialty ingredient to patients, healthcare professionals, and hospitals; and electronic business supply carrier gases, electronic specialty and advanced materials, equipment and installation, and service to semiconductor, flat panel, and photovoltaic markets. The Engineering & Construction segment designs, develops, and builds industrial gas production plants to third parties; and design and manufacture plants in traditional, renewable and alternative energy sectors. The Global Markets & Technologies segment delivers technological solutions, such as molecules, equipment, and services to energy transition and deep technology. This segment also invests in and operates biomethane production units; designs hydrogen refueling stations; and supplies gases for the offshore oil and gas platforms, offshore wind turbines, and cryogenic transportation by sea. L'Air Liquide S.A. was incorporated in 1902 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

About Innospec

Innospec Inc. develops, manufactures, blends, markets, and supplies specialty chemicals in the United States, rest of North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. The company's Fuel Specialties segment offers a range of specialty chemical products that are used as additives in additives in diesel, jet, marine, fuel oil and other fuels. This segment's products are used in the operation of commercial trucking, marine and aviation engines, power station generators, heating oil, and other industrial machinery applications. Its Performance Chemicals segment provides technology-based solutions for its customers' processes or products that focuses on the personal care, home care, agrochemical, construction, mining, and other industrial markets. The company's Oilfield Services segment develops and markets chemical solutions for drilling, completion, fracturing, stimulation, and completion operations; and products for oil and gas production. It sells its products primarily to oil and gas exploration and production companies, oil refineries, fuel manufacturers and users, personal care and home care companies, formulators of agrochemical, and other chemical and industrial companies. The company was formerly known as Octel Corp. and changed its name to Innospec Inc. in January 2006. Innospec Inc. was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.