Head to Head Survey: L’Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY) and Associated British Foods (OTCMKTS:ASBFY)

L’Air Liquide (OTCMKTS:AIQUY) and Associated British Foods (OTCMKTS:ASBFY) are both large-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, valuation, dividends and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for L’Air Liquide and Associated British Foods, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
L’Air Liquide	0	2	1	1	2.75
Associated British Foods	1	1	0	0	1.50

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.0% of L’Air Liquide shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares L’Air Liquide and Associated British Foods”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
L’Air Liquide	$29.28 billion	4.17	$3.58 billion	N/A	N/A
Associated British Foods	$26.11 billion	0.78	$1.85 billion	N/A	N/A

L’Air Liquide has higher revenue and earnings than Associated British Foods.

Risk and Volatility

L’Air Liquide has a beta of 0.91, indicating that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Associated British Foods has a beta of 1.22, indicating that its stock price is 22% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

L’Air Liquide pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Associated British Foods pays an annual dividend of $0.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%.

Profitability

This table compares L’Air Liquide and Associated British Foods’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
L’Air Liquide	N/A	N/A	N/A
Associated British Foods	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

L’Air Liquide beats Associated British Foods on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About L’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 Associated British Foods

Associated British Foods plc operates as a diversified food, ingredients, and retail company worldwide. It operates through five segments: Grocery, Ingredients, Agriculture, Sugar, and Retail. The Grocery segment manufactures and sells grocery products, including hot beverages, sugar and sweeteners, vegetable oils, balsamic vinegars, bread and baked goods, cereals, ethnic foods, and meat products to retail, wholesale, and foodservice businesses. The Ingredients segment manufactures bakers' yeast, bakery ingredients, enzymes, lipids, yeast extracts, and cereal specialties. The Agriculture segment manufactures and sells animal feeds; and provides other products and services for the agriculture sector. The Sugar segment is involved in growing, processing, and selling sugar beet and sugar cane to industrial users. The Retail segment is involved in buying and merchandising clothing and accessories through the Primark and Penneys retail chains, which offer women's, men's, and kids wear, as well as beauty, homeware, and accessories. The company was incorporated in 1934 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Associated British Foods plc operates as a subsidiary of Wittington Investments Limited.