Rankings Commodities & uranium Solvay

Solvay

Commodities & uranium · BelgiumRank 557 of 829Prices 3 Nov 2026Model 1.4

The model found several serious problems. That does not mean the stock will fall.

Biggest deductions

  • Margin and ROIC−6
  • Quality of growth−5
  • Moat−4

Strengths

  • Strategic position in rare earths+1
  • Cost savings+1

How the score is built

From 100 to 49, step by step: points off for the business, the price and the cracks, back for documented strengths, then three data adjustments.

100Start
49Score

Hover or select a step to see what drove it. Steps with findings open them below.

Key numbers

As of 3 Nov 2026. Analyst targets tend to be optimistic; read upside as a hint, not a forecast.

Price
23.84 EUR
Median analyst target
24.50 EUR
Upside to median
+2.8%
Analysts
15
Target range
20.00 – 28.50 EUR
52-week change
−11%
P/E (trailing)
814.4
Forward P/E
10.5
PEG
3.02

Findings

Every deduction and every plus, with its source. Open a step to read them.

Business

Is the company getting stronger, not just bigger? · 4 findings
−17 of −30
  • Margin and ROIC
    Underlying EBITDA margin 18.1% in Q2, but operating margin only 8.0% and net margin 0.1% TTM. ROIC 0.95% vs 3.7% in 2025 and 15.3% in 2024.
    −6
  • Quality of growth
    Revenue is shrinking: €5.13bn in 2024, 4.75bn in 2025 and an expected 4.11bn in 2026 (−13.5%); organic −8.0% in H1 and underlying EBITDA −19.5% organically in Q2.
    −5
  • Moat
    Global oversupply of soda ash with Chinese exports at multi-year highs and high European energy and CO2 costs; Solvay is cutting capacity in Torrelavega (Spain) from 600 to 420 kt from Q3 2026.
    −4
  • Future segment
    Rare earths are strategically interesting but small: only €15–20m of extra investment in La Rochelle, industrial separation of dysprosium and terbium only starts in autumn 2026, and the Viridis deal is a letter of intent.
    −2

Price

Today's multiples against the company's own history and its peers. · 2 findings
−7 of −35
  • Multiples vs own history
    Forward P/E 10.2 vs its own forward history of 6.3–11.4 (2021–25) and EV/EBITDA 6.5 vs 2.9–6.95 – at the upper end while earnings fall (EPS expected −18% in 2026). P/B 2.3 and P/TBV 35 after the spin-off. Consensus is 'Sell' with a target about equal to the price.
    −4
  • FCF yield
    The 17% FCF yield TTM is historical; guidance is only FCF of at least €200m for 2026 (about 7.8% of the €2.58bn market value), and FCF was just €15m in H1 (−84%).
    −3

Cracks

Cash flow, customers, debt, insiders, guidance and what sits behind the headline numbers. · 3 findings
−9 of −35
  • Dividend above FCF
    The dividend of €2.43 per share (about €254m, 9.8% yield) is larger than FCF guidance of at least €200m; Bernstein warns the dividend will not be covered by FCF in 2026, and Berenberg has downgraded to Sell.
    −4
  • Debt
    Underlying net debt €1.8bn and leverage 2.3x EBITDA (3.2x on S&P's figures); debt/equity 2.0 and interest cover 3.7.
    −3
  • Geopolitics (Middle East)
    A temporary shutdown of the peroxide plant in Saudi Arabia because of the Middle East conflict accounted for about half of the EBITDA decline in Q2.
    −2

Plus

Only documented strengths. · 2 findings
+2 of +15
  • Strategic position in rare earths
    La Rochelle is one of Europe's largest rare-earth separation plants and one of the few outside China able to separate the full spectrum of elements at industrial scale.
    +1
  • Cost savings
    Structural savings of about €300m accumulated, and 2026 guidance (underlying EBITDA of €770–850m) confirmed despite a weak market.
    +1

Caveats

What the score does not capture, or where the data is weak.
Industry: the list has no chemicals category. 'Commodities & uranium' was chosen as the closest because the largest division (Basic Chemicals: soda ash from natural trona and peroxides) is a commodity-price business, and earnings follow the soda ash price; hence also cyclical. Rare earths (La Rochelle) are a small part of the group, so the share is only a very diluted exposure to the magnet theme. History before 2024 includes Syensqo (spun off Dec. 2023) and is only partly comparable; TTM net income (€4m) is distorted by one-offs and a 92% tax rate. Pension liabilities and credit rating have not been examined.

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