MeritValue

ALBEMARLE CORP

ALBdata completeness 100%18 fiscal years on file

Data notes: no data for concept 'investmentsAtFairValue'; no data for concept 'netInvestmentIncome'; no data for concept 'interestExpense'

The thesis, from the filings

ALBEMARLE CORP earns about 1% on invested capital, with a roughly flat share count. The applicable estimate puts fair value near $10.85 a share.Whether it’s worth owning at today’s price is the last question — and yours to answer, below.

i. The business — what you’d actually own
FigureFY 2021FY 2022FY 2023FY 2024FY 2025
Revenue$3.33B1$7.32B2$9.62B3$5.38B3$5.14B3
Net income$123.7M4$2.69B5$1.57B6−$1.18B6−$510.6M6
Operating cash flow$344.3M7$1.91B8$1.33B9$687.9M9$1.28B9
Capital expenditure$953.7M10$1.26B11$2.15B12$1.68B12$589.8M12
Free cash flow (derived)−$609.4M7$646.2M8−$828M9−$992.7M9$692.5M9
Total debt$4.79B13$6.43B14$8.33B15$7.03B16$6.39B16
Cash & equivalents$439.3M17$1.5B18$889.9M18$1.19B18$1.62B18
Diluted shares116.5M117.8M117.8M117.5M117.7M

Superscripts are receipts. Each links to the SEC filing the number came from (full list at the bottom).

ii. Your slice — ownership made literal
If you owned
shares
Net assets behind them
$810.22
your share of equity
Profit it earned you last year
−$43.4
Free cash flow it threw off
$58.85
Debt you’d be carrying
$542.82

10 shares is a claim on $810.22 of net worth that earned you −$43.4 and generated $58.85 of cash last year, against $542.82 of debt.

iii. Is this a good business?
Moat signal · return on invested capital
1% avg · 5y
FY21 1%FY22 16%FY23 1%FY24 -9%FY25 -3%

It earned an average 1% on invested capital over 5 years. Compare that to what it costs to fund the business.

seeing a moat in the numbers →
Management signal · capital allocation
+1% shares · 5y

Share count is roughly flat over 5 years — little dilution, little buyback. Total debt has risen 33% over the same window.

reading capital allocation →

Signals, not verdicts — read from the filings above. Numbers don’t prove a moat; they show its footprint. You decide.

iv. What it’s worth — engine v0.5.0
DCF · Growth Exit 10Y
not applicable
3y-median FCF non-positive — growth-exit DCF not applicable (see EPV)
DCF · Growth Exit 5Y
not applicable
3y-median FCF non-positive — growth-exit DCF not applicable (see EPV)
Earnings Power Value
$10.85
assumptions (8)
  • riskFreeRate4.7%
  • equityRiskPremium5.0%
  • beta100.0%
  • equityWeight85.0%
  • costOfDebtSpread1.5%
  • taxRate21.0%
  • normalizedEarnings$123.7M
  • growthAssumed0.0%
Graham Number
not applicable
diluted EPS missing or non-positive — Graham Number undefined

Different models answer different questions — which to trust when →

Sources — the receipts
  1. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-24-000016 (Revenues)
  2. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (Revenues)
  3. 10-K · period ending 2023-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (Revenues)
  4. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-24-000016 (NetIncomeLoss)
  5. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (NetIncomeLoss)
  6. 10-K · period ending 2023-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (NetIncomeLoss)
  7. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-24-000016 (NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities)
  8. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities)
  9. 10-K · period ending 2023-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities)
  10. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-24-000016 (PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment)
  11. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment)
  12. 10-K · period ending 2023-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment)
  13. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-23-000039 (LongTermDebtNoncurrent)
  14. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-24-000016 (LongTermDebtNoncurrent)
  15. 10-K · period ending 2023-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (LongTermDebtNoncurrent)
  16. 10-K · period ending 2024-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (LongTermDebtNoncurrent)
  17. 10-K · period ending 2021-12-31 · accession 0000915913-25-000026 (CashCashEquivalentsRestrictedCashAndRestrictedCashEquivalents)
  18. 10-K · period ending 2022-12-31 · accession 0000915913-26-000018 (CashCashEquivalentsRestrictedCashAndRestrictedCashEquivalents)