RPM International (NYSE:RPM) & Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY) Critical Survey

RPM International (NYSE:RPM) and Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY) are both materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, profitability, dividends, risk and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares RPM International and Arkema’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
RPM International	8.41%	22.45%	8.86%
Arkema	0.67%	4.30%	2.15%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares RPM International and Arkema”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
RPM International	$7.86 billion	1.62	$661.39 million	$5.16	19.38
Arkema	$10.26 billion	0.47	$71.28 million	$0.29	218.59

RPM International has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Arkema. RPM International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Arkema, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for RPM International and Arkema, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
RPM International	0	3	11	0	2.79
Arkema	1	6	1	0	2.00

RPM International currently has a consensus price target of $125.50, suggesting a potential upside of 25.49%. Given RPM International’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe RPM International is more favorable than Arkema.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

80.9% of RPM International shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of RPM International shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

RPM International pays an annual dividend of $2.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Arkema pays an annual dividend of $3.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.9%. RPM International pays out 41.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Arkema pays out 1,075.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. RPM International has increased its dividend for 51 consecutive years.

Volatility & Risk

RPM International has a beta of 1.05, suggesting that its stock price is 5% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Arkema has a beta of 0.85, suggesting that its stock price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

RPM International beats Arkema on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About RPM International

RPM International Inc. manufactures and sells specialty chemicals for the industrial, specialty, and consumer markets worldwide. It offers waterproofing, coating, and traditional roofing systems; sealants, air barriers, tapes, and foams; residential home weatherization systems; roofing and building maintenance services; sealing and bonding, subfloor preparation, flooring, and glazing solutions; resin flooring systems, polyurethane, MMA waterproof, epoxy floor paint and coatings, concrete repair, and protection products; fire stopping and intumescent steel coating, and manufacturing industry solutions; rolled asphalt roofing materials and chemical admixtures; concrete and masonry admixtures, concrete fibers, curing and sealing compounds, structural grouts and mortars, epoxy adhesives, injection resins, polyurethane foams, floor hardeners and toppings, joint fillers, industrial and architectural coatings, decorative color/stains/stamps, and restoration materials; insulated building cladding materials; and concrete form wall systems. It also provides polymer flooring systems; fiberglass reinforced plastic gratings and shapes; corrosion-control coating, containment and railcar lining, fire and sound proofing, and heat and cryogenic insulation products; specialty construction products; amine curing agents, reactive diluents, and epoxy resins; fluorescent colorants and pigments; shellac-based-specialty and marine coatings; fire and water damage restoration, carpet cleaning, and disinfecting products; fuel additives; wood treatments, coatings, and touch-up products; and nail enamels, polishes, and coating components. In addition, it offers solutions for the paint contractors and DIYers, concrete restoration and flooring, metallic and faux finish coatings, cleaners, and hobby paints and cements; and caulks, adhesives, insulating foams, and patches, as well as spackling, glazing, and repair products. The company was incorporated in 1947 and is headquartered in Medina, Ohio.

About Arkema

Arkema S.A. manufactures and sells specialty chemicals and advanced materials worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials and Coating Solutions, and Intermediates. The Adhesive Solutions segment provides solutions for construction, renovation of buildings, DIY, durable goods, and packaging and non-woven applications; and supplies technologies used in building activities for businesses and individuals, including sealants, tiles, flooring adhesives and waterproofing systems, and technologies used in industry, which include automotive, textiles, glazing, flexible and rigid packaging, and hygiene markets. This segment also offers performance polymers, such as specialty polyamides, PVDF, polyimides, fluorospecialties, and polyetherketoneketone; and performance additives which includes molecular sieves, organic peroxides, thiochemicals, and hydrogen peroxide. The Advance Materials and Coating Solutions segment offers coating solutions, including comprising EU/US acrylics and coating resins; coating additives, such as sartomer photocure resins and coatex rheology additives. This segment also provides decorative paints, industrial coatings, and adhesives; and solutions for applications in the paper, superabsorbent, water treatment and oil and gas extraction, and 3D printing and electronics industries. The Intermediates segment provides fluorogases and acrylics; and industrial intermediate chemicals used in construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, automotive, coatings, and water treatment sectors. Arkema S.A. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Colombes, France.