vs

Side-by-side financial comparison of Albemarle Corporation (ALB) and SONOCO PRODUCTS CO (SON). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

SONOCO PRODUCTS CO is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.7B vs $1.4B, roughly 1.2× Albemarle Corporation). SONOCO PRODUCTS CO runs the higher net margin — 4.1% vs -29.0%, a 33.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Albemarle Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (15.9% vs -1.9%). Albemarle Corporation produced more free cash flow last quarter ($233.1M vs $-428.3B). Over the past eight quarters, Albemarle Corporation's revenue compounded faster (2.4% CAGR vs 1.6%).

Albemarle Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals worldwide. It operates through three segments: Lithium, Bromine, and Catalysts. The Lithium segment offers lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and lithium specialties; and reagents, such as butyllithium and lithium aluminum hydride for use in lithium batteries for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, high performance greases, thermoplastic elastomers...

Sonoco Products Company is an American provider of diversified consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and packaging supply chain services and the world's largest producer of composite cans, tubes, and cores. The company was founded in 1889 as Southern Novelty Company with annualized net sales of approximately $7.3 billion. Sonoco has 19,900 employees in more than 335 operations in 33 countries, serving more than 85 nations. The company is headquartered in Hartsville, S...

ALB vs SON — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SON
SON
1.2× larger
SON
$1.7B
$1.4B
ALB
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ALB
ALB
+17.9% gap
ALB
15.9%
-1.9%
SON
Higher net margin
SON
SON
33.1% more per $
SON
4.1%
-29.0%
ALB
More free cash flow
ALB
ALB
$428.5B more FCF
ALB
$233.1M
$-428.3B
SON
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ALB
ALB
Annualised
ALB
2.4%
1.6%
SON

Income Statement — Q4 2025 vs Q1 2026

Metric
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Revenue
$1.4B
$1.7B
Net Profit
$-414.2M
$68.0M
Gross Margin
13.9%
20.6%
Operating Margin
-15.2%
7.6%
Net Margin
-29.0%
4.1%
Revenue YoY
15.9%
-1.9%
Net Profit YoY
-650.1%
25.9%
EPS (diluted)
$-3.88
$0.68

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$1.7B
Q4 25
$1.4B
$1.8B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$2.1B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$1.9B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$1.7B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$64.2M
Q3 24
$1.4B
$1.7B
Q2 24
$1.4B
$1.6B
Net Profit
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$68.0M
Q4 25
$-414.2M
$332.2M
Q3 25
$-160.7M
$122.9M
Q2 25
$22.9M
$493.4M
Q1 25
$41.3M
$54.4M
Q4 24
$75.3M
$-43.0M
Q3 24
$-1.1B
$50.9M
Q2 24
$-188.2M
$90.8M
Gross Margin
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
20.6%
Q4 25
13.9%
19.6%
Q3 25
9.0%
21.9%
Q2 25
14.8%
21.3%
Q1 25
14.5%
20.7%
Q4 24
11.2%
Q3 24
-7.7%
21.4%
Q2 24
-0.7%
22.0%
Operating Margin
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
7.6%
Q4 25
-15.2%
29.4%
Q3 25
-16.6%
9.1%
Q2 25
3.6%
9.2%
Q1 25
1.8%
7.4%
Q4 24
0.4%
-84.8%
Q3 24
-81.9%
7.6%
Q2 24
-34.4%
8.6%
Net Margin
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
4.1%
Q4 25
-29.0%
18.8%
Q3 25
-12.3%
5.8%
Q2 25
1.7%
25.8%
Q1 25
3.8%
3.2%
Q4 24
6.1%
-67.0%
Q3 24
-78.9%
3.0%
Q2 24
-13.2%
5.6%
EPS (diluted)
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$0.68
Q4 25
$-3.88
$3.33
Q3 25
$-1.72
$1.23
Q2 25
$-0.16
$4.96
Q1 25
$0.00
$0.55
Q4 24
$0.29
$-0.44
Q3 24
$-9.45
$0.51
Q2 24
$-1.96
$0.92

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$224.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$3.2B
$3.5B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$9.5B
$3.6B
Total Assets
$16.4B
$11.1B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.33×
0.97×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$224.5M
Q4 25
$378.4M
Q3 25
$1.9B
$244.9M
Q2 25
$1.8B
$329.8M
Q1 25
$1.5B
$181.8M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$431.0M
Q3 24
$1.7B
$1.9B
Q2 24
$1.8B
$140.2M
Total Debt
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$3.5B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$3.8B
Q3 25
$3.6B
$3.8B
Q2 25
$3.6B
$5.0B
Q1 25
$3.5B
$5.0B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$5.0B
Q3 24
$3.6B
$4.3B
Q2 24
$3.5B
$2.5B
Stockholders' Equity
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$3.6B
Q4 25
$9.5B
$3.6B
Q3 25
$10.0B
$3.3B
Q2 25
$10.2B
$3.2B
Q1 25
$10.0B
$2.4B
Q4 24
$10.0B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$10.2B
$2.5B
Q2 24
$11.2B
$2.4B
Total Assets
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$11.1B
Q4 25
$16.4B
$11.2B
Q3 25
$17.1B
$11.7B
Q2 25
$17.3B
$12.0B
Q1 25
$17.0B
$12.7B
Q4 24
$16.6B
$12.5B
Q3 24
$17.5B
$9.0B
Q2 24
$18.4B
$7.2B
Debt / Equity
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
0.97×
Q4 25
0.33×
1.05×
Q3 25
0.36×
1.15×
Q2 25
0.35×
1.54×
Q1 25
0.35×
2.03×
Q4 24
0.35×
2.19×
Q3 24
0.35×
1.74×
Q2 24
0.31×
1.04×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$388.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$233.1M
$-428.3B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.3%
-25547.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
10.9%
3600.5%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$692.5M
$-427.6B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
Q4 25
$388.5M
$412.9M
Q3 25
$355.6M
$291.5M
Q2 25
$-7.2M
$193.4M
Q1 25
$545.4M
$-208.1M
Q4 24
$674.0K
$396.2M
Q3 24
$240.5M
$162.1M
Q2 24
$362.9M
$109.3M
Free Cash Flow
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
$-428.3B
Q4 25
$233.1M
$322.3M
Q3 25
$223.4M
$225.6M
Q2 25
$-126.8M
$98.6M
Q1 25
$362.8M
$-300.8M
Q4 24
$-355.1M
$274.3M
Q3 24
$-62.6M
$70.5M
Q2 24
$-84.7M
$16.0M
FCF Margin
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
-25547.4%
Q4 25
16.3%
18.2%
Q3 25
17.1%
10.6%
Q2 25
-9.5%
5.2%
Q1 25
33.7%
-17.6%
Q4 24
-28.8%
427.6%
Q3 24
-4.6%
4.2%
Q2 24
-5.9%
1.0%
Capex Intensity
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
3600.5%
Q4 25
10.9%
5.1%
Q3 25
10.1%
3.1%
Q2 25
9.0%
5.0%
Q1 25
17.0%
5.4%
Q4 24
28.9%
190.0%
Q3 24
22.4%
5.5%
Q2 24
31.3%
5.7%
Cash Conversion
ALB
ALB
SON
SON
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.24×
Q3 25
2.37×
Q2 25
-0.31×
0.39×
Q1 25
13.19×
-3.82×
Q4 24
0.01×
Q3 24
3.18×
Q2 24
1.20×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ALB
ALB

Energy Storage$759.1M53%
Specialties$348.9M24%
Ketjen$320.1M22%

SON
SON

Consumer Packaging$1.1B65%
Industrial Paper Packaging$587.5M35%
All Other$55.1M3%

Related Comparisons