Stepan Valuation Multiples

Linde is the largest industrial gas supplier in the world, with operations in over 100 countries. The firm's main products are atmospheric gases (including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon) and process gases (including hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and helium), as well as equipment used in industrial gas production. Linde serves a wide variety of end markets, including chemicals, manufacturing, healthcare, and steelmaking. Linde generated approximately $34 billion in revenue in 2025.

Shin Etsu Chemical is an industrial conglomerate that was founded in 1926. Some of its largest product groups are silicon metal, polymer, silicone, rare-earth, and cellulose products. It holds top rankings in several markets, notably as the largest PVC and silicon wafer producer globally. Shin-Etsu is most exposed to the construction, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical sectors. Shin Etsu employed 27,274 people as of March 31 and has production bases in 17 countries.

Sherwin-Williams is the largest provider of architectural paint in the United States. The company has over 4,800 stores and sells premium paint at higher price points than most competitors. Sherwin-Williams also sells paint-related products in big-box stores and provides coatings for original equipment manufacturers.

Ecolab produces and markets cleaning and sanitation products for the industrial manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and life sciences markets. The firm is the global market share leader in this category with a wide array of products and services, including dish and laundry washing systems, pest control, and infection control products. Additionally, Ecolab sells customized water management solutions across its end markets. The company has a strong hold on the US market and is growing its presence abroad.

Since its founding in 1940, Air Products has become one of the leading industrial gas suppliers globally, with operations in 50 countries and 19,000 employees. The company is the world's largest supplier of hydrogen and helium. It has a unique portfolio serving customers across industries, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, metals, and electronics. Air Products generated roughly $12 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025.

BASF is one of the world’s leading chemical companies. It's headquartered in Germany near the Rhine River, which helps with logistics-related savings. Founded in 1865, it produces a vast array of chemicals, plastics, resins, and agricultural solutions. While the company serves multiple industries, it most prominently serves the automotive, agricultural, construction, and pharmaceutical industries. BASF is a first mover in the energy transition and aims to rapidly expand its recycled and bio-based product portfolio.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp is a chemicals manufacturer in Saudi Arabia. The primary business segments of the company are Petrochemicals and Agri-nutrients. In Petrochemicals segment products are produced from hydrocarbon feedstock including methane, ethane, and propane, it also includes the production of a range of fertilisers; including urea, ammonia, phosphate, as well as compound fertilisers. The Hadeed is concerned with production of steel products, long products and flat products. The company derives maximum revenue from Petrochemicals segment. Geographically, it generates maximum revenue from Europe.

Wanhua Chemical Group Co Ltd is engaged in the development, production, and sales of polyurethane and additives, isocyanate and derivative products; the sales of liquefied petroleum gas, propylene, acrylic acid, and other petrochemical products.

Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co Ltd is engaged in the production and sales of modern coal chemical products. The company operates through four segments. The Coking Products segment covers coal mining, washing, and coking activities. The Fine Chemical Products segment focuses on coal tar, crude benzene, and C4 deep-processed products. The Olefin Products segment is involved in the production of methanol and olefins. The Headquarters and Other Product segment manages investment, financing, and support services, alongside the activities of its commercial service companies. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Olefin Products segment.

Spun off from Roche in 2000, Givaudan is one of the world's leading flavor and fragrance manufacturers, with a presence in more than 80 countries. It sources more than 11,000 different ingredients from over 100 countries. The company serves end consumer markets with fragrances for personal, home, and laundry care brands, including prestige perfumes. In flavors, customers are in beverages, savory, snacks, sweet goods, and dairy. Givaudan has nearly 10,000 employees, and its perfumery team is the largest in the industry.

Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co Ltd operates in the dry inland Qarhan Salt Lake in Qinghai province. It is engaged in salt lake resource extraction and potash production. The company is engaged in the manufacture of chemical raw materials and chemical products. The company's main products include potassium chloride and lithium carbonate.

Qnity is a specialty chemicals company created in 2025 after being spun off from DuPont. It sells chemicals and materials to the semiconductor industry, which generates the majority of sales, and also the electronics industry. Qnity specializes in materials science, including supplying key materials required to manufacture semiconductors and interconnected devices.

Established in 1910, Sika produces specialty chemicals primarily used by the construction sector (85% of sales). Its products are mainly used for bonding, sealing, reinforcing, and protecting in the construction and automotive industries. Approximately 70% of its products have a positive impact on sustainability for customers. Sika has a global manufacturing footprint of more than 400 factories spread across over 100 countries.

Novonesis was formed in 2024 through the merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen. Following the merger, the company became the world leader in industrial enzymes and microbial solutions, with a nearly 50% market share in both. The firm supplies a wide range of industry groups: household care, food and beverages, bioenergy, agriculture and feed, technical and pharmaceuticals. Its biological solutions create value for its customers by improving yield efficiency and performance, while saving energy and generating less waste. The company is headquartered in Denmark, employs around 10,000 people, and works across more than 30 research and development and application centers and 23 manufacturing sites.

Dow Chemical is a diversified global chemicals producer, formed in 2019 as a result of the DowDuPont merger and subsequent separations. The firm is a leading producer of several chemicals, including polyethylene, ethylene oxide, and silicone rubber. Its products have numerous applications in both consumer and industrial end markets.

PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk produces petrochemicals. The company's reportable segments are: Olefin, Polyolefin, Styrene monomer, Butadiene, Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) & Butene-1, Benzene, and Infrastructure. The majority of the company's revenue is generated from the Polyolefin segment, followed by the Olefins, which includes revenue generated from its products like ethylene, propylene, pyrolysis, gasoline, mixed C4, naphtha, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Geographically, the company operates in Indonesia and Singapore.

LyondellBasell is a petrochemical producer with operations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company is the world’s largest producer of polypropylene and also a major producer of polyethylene and propylene oxide. Its chemicals are used in various consumer and industrial end products. Well over half of LyondellBasell’s production comes from its North American operations.

PPG is a global producer of coatings. The company is the world's largest producer of coatings after the purchase of selected Akzo Nobel assets. PPG's products are sold to a wide variety of end users, including the automotive, aerospace, construction, and industrial markets. The company has a footprint in many regions around the globe, with less than half of sales coming from North America in recent years. PPG is focused on its coatings and specialty products and expansion into emerging regions, as exemplified by the Comex acquisition.

Eternal Ltd is an online food service platform. The customers use the platform to search and discover restaurants, read and write customer-generated reviews and view and upload photos, order food delivery, book a table, and make payments while dining out at restaurants. It also provides a platform for Restaurant partners and Brands to advertise themselves to the target audience in India and abroad and supplies high-quality ingredients to Restaurant partners. Its reportable segments include India food ordering and delivery; Hyperpure supplies, Quick commerce business, Going Out, and All other segments. The company generates maximum revenue from the India food ordering and delivery segment.

OMV AG is an international, integrated oil and gas company that operates in the Energy, Fuels and Feedstock, Chemicals segments and Corporate and others. The company has exploration and production assets in a multitude of countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Energy segment engages in the business of oil and gas exploration, development and production. The Fuels and Feedstock segment which generates key revenue, refines and markets crude oil and other feedstock. The Chemicals segment provides circular polyolefin solutions and base chemicals, fertilizers, and plastics recycling. Geographically, the company generates a majority of its revenue from Austria and the rest from its operations in Germany, Romania, Norway, and other regions.

Albemarle is one of the world's largest lithium producers. In the lithium industry, the majority of demand comes from batteries, where lithium is used as the energy storage material, particularly in electric vehicles. Albemarle is a fully integrated lithium producer. Its upstream resources include salt brine deposits in Chile and the US and two hard rock mines in Australia, both of which are joint ventures. The company operates lithium refining plants in Chile, the US, Australia, and China. Albemarle is a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants.

Hengli Petrochemical Co Ltd engages in the petrochemical industry. Its principal activities include: the production and sales of chemical fibers; sales of purified terephthalic acid; and import and export of goods. The company's main products include oil refining products, chemical products, PTA, polyester chips, polyester fibers, and films, among others. The company mainly operates in three business segments: the Petrochemical business segment, the Polyester business segment, and the Headquarters and other business segments. Maximum revenue is generated from the Petrochemical segment. Geographically, the company earns maximum revenue from overseas markets through exports.

Borouge PLC is a petrochemical company that provides solutions of polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene for a wide range of industries such as packaging, infrastructure, energy, mobility, agriculture, and healthcare. Geographically, the company derives maximum revenue from PRC and has a presence in India, UAE, Austria, Egypt, Pakistan, and other countries.

Industries Qatar QSC, along with its subsidiaries, operates in the following reportable segments: Petrochemicals, Fertilisers, and Steel. Maximum revenue is generated from the Fertilisers segment, which produces and sells urea, ammonia, and other by-products. The Petrochemicals segment produces and sells ethylene, polyethylene, MTBE, methanol, and other petrochemical products; and the Steel segment produces and sells steel pellets, bars, billets, and others.

Rongsheng Petro Chemical Co Ltd operates in the petrochemical industry. The company specializes in the production and marketing of petrochemicals and chemical fibers. Its product portfolio comprises synthetic fibers and films, synthetic raw material, synthetic resins, olefins, aromatics and phenols, and oil products.

LG Chem Ltd manufactures and sells a variety of chemicals, electronics, and energy storage products. The company operates through five segments, including Petrochemical, LG Energy Solution, Advanced Materials, Life Science, and Others. The Petrochemical segment produces ABS, PC, PE, PP, acrylics, alcohols, synthetic rubber, special resins, and olefins. LG Energy Solution supplies small batteries, automotive batteries, and energy-storage batteries. The Advanced Materials segment provides engineering and display materials, cathode materials, separators, and RO filters. The Life Science segment offers growth hormones, vaccines, diabetes treatments, and pesticides, while Common & Others covers corporate management, sales, and R&D activities.

Ems-Chemie Holding AG is a holding company that, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells a variety of chemical-based products. The firm organizes itself into two segments based on product type: High-Performance Polymers and Specialty Chemicals. The High-Performance Polymers segment, which generates the majority of revenue, sells plastic products to the automotive, electrical, and electronics industries. The Specialty Chemicals segment sells fibres, bonding agents for tires, and fusible bonding yarns for textiles and powder coating products. Geographically, the majority of its revenue comes from Europe and the rest from Asia, the Americas, and other regions.

DuPont is a diversified global specialty chemicals company created in 2019 as a result of the DowDuPont merger and subsequent separations. Its portfolio includes specialty chemicals and downstream products that serve the healthcare, water, construction, automotive, aerospace, and printing and packaging industries. Healthcare and water will generate the majority of profits.

CF Industries is a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen, which is primarily used in fertilizers. The company operates nitrogen manufacturing plants primarily in North America. CF also produces nitrogen in the United Kingdom and holds a joint venture interest in a nitrogen production facility in Trinidad and Tobago. CF makes nitrogen primarily using low-cost US natural gas as its feedstock, making the company one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally. It is also investing in carbon-free blue and green ammonia, which can be used as an alternative fuel to hydrogen or as a means to transport hydrogen.

DSM-Firmenich is a global science-based company formed in 2023 through the merger of DSM, a Dutch nutrition, health, and sustainable living player, and Switzerland-based Firmenich, the third-largest player in the flavor and fragrance market. The company serves a wide range of end-consumer markets providing nutrition solutions ranging from medical and early-life nutrition, fragrances for personal-, home-, and laundry-care brands, prestige perfumes, and other ingredients for food and beverage, home, and personal care. DSM-Firmenich has nearly 30,000 employees, with more than 2,000 scientists and engineers spread across 15 research and development facilities.

SABIC Agri-Nutrient Co is engaged in the production, conversion, manufacturing, and trade of agri-nutrients and chemical products. Also, the Company is engaged in the marketing of agri-nutrient products of all types inside and outside KSA. The Group is organised into two segments; The Agri-Nutrients and The Petrochemicals. The majority of revenue is derived from the Agri-Nutrients segment.

International Flavors & Fragrances is the largest specialty ingredients producer globally. It sells ingredients for the food, beverage, health, household goods, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries. The company makes proprietary formulations, partnering with customers to deliver custom solutions. Through its taste and scent segments, which each generate around 25% of profits, IFF is a leading flavor and fragrances producer. The health and biosciences business, which generates 30% of profits, is a global leader in probiotics and enzymes. The remaining profits come from the food ingredients business, which sells texturants, plant-based proteins, and other ingredients, though IFF plans to divest this business in the future.

Nippon Sanso Holdings Corp is engaged in the gas business both domestically and internationally, supplying industries such as steel, chemicals, and electronics. The company operates through five reportable segments: Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and Thermos. It provides industrial and medical gases, gas-related equipment, and electronic material gases, along with the manufacturing and construction of related systems. The Thermos segment focuses on household products such as stainless steel thermoses.

Westlake Corp is a manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, polymers, and building products. Its Performance and Essential Materials segment offers a wide range of essential building blocks for making products utilized in everyday living, including olefins, vinyl chemicals, polyethylene, and epoxies. Its Housing and Infrastructure Products segment produces key finished goods for building products, pipe and fittings, and global compounds businesses.

Nippon Paint is a global paint company with operations in over 50 countries. About two-thirds of sales are in decorative paint, serving mostly residential and some commercial customers. It has the dominant share of the paint markets in China and some smaller Asian countries, as well as Australia. In other regions, it's often one of the three largest players. Its products are distributed via paint and home improvement retailers, some 300,000 distributors globally. Household brands include Nipsea, Nippon Paint, Dulux (in Asia, the Pacific, and Europe), British Paints, Betek Boya, and Alina, among others. About one-fourth of sales are in industrial coatings and paints. Here, customer groups include manufacturers of automotive and industrial products.

Ecopro Co Ltd is engaged in the battery materials business, mainly serving the lithium-ion battery industry. The company operates through two reportable segments: Battery Materials business and Other business. The Battery Materials business segment focuses on cathode materials, the core components used in lithium-ion batteries, and also covers precursors, lithium, and recycling activities related to the cathode materials business.

RPM International Inc manufactures and sells a variety of paints, coatings, and adhesives. The firm organizes itself into four segments based on product type. The construction products group sells coatings, roofing, insulation, and other products to distributors, contractors, and end consumers globally. The performance coatings group produces coatings that are used in construction and industrial applications like floorings and corrosion control. The consumer group sells paint, finishes, and similar products to individual consumers through hardware and craft stores. The specialty products group sells a line of products ranging from niche applications of the other groups to marine finishes, to edible food colorings. The majority of revenue is from the construction products and North America.

Nitto Denko is a manufacturer of advanced materials for niche industry applications. Its three segments are industrial tape (35% of revenue), optical films (55%), and materials used in health science (10%). Its advanced materials are used in manufacturing with main customers being suppliers to original equipment manufacturers in the computer, smartphone, and automobile industries. The company has more than 15,000 products. Most revenue is from Asia/Oceania (60%), followed by Japan (20%). The remainder is roughly equally split between Americas and Europe, each representing about 10% of revenue.

Solstice Advanced Materials is a diversified specialty chemicals company created in late 2025 after being spun off from Honeywell. It sells chemicals and materials to a wide range of end markets. Its largest product category is refrigerants used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and autos, where Solstice sells low global warming potential refrigerants. The company also sells materials used for building and construction, semiconductor production, healthcare packaging, and defense. Additionally, Solstice runs the only US uranium conversion business currently in operation.

Jordan Phosphates Mines Co PLC engages in the mining, and marketing of phosphates and fertilizers. The activities of the company can be classified under two complementary sectors: the mining sector and the phosphate fertilizer sector. The group extracts phosphate rocks from the Al-Hessa, Al-Abiad, Shidiya, and Al-Russiefah mines. The product portfolio of the company consists of various products such as phosphate, diammonium phosphate, phosphate acid, sulfuric acid, and aluminum fluoride. Geographically business of the firm is spread across the market of Jordan, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and internationally.

Symrise is a global supplier of ingredients for fragrances and flavourings across the food, beverage, household products, and pharmaceutical industries. With an estimated 12% market share, it is the world’s fourth-largest supplier of fragrances and flavourings. The company was created after a 2003 merger of two companies that originated in 1874 and 1919. With more than 12,000 employees, Symrise produces 35,000 products sourced from 10,000 mostly natural raw materials such as vanilla, citrus, blossoms, and plant or animal materials for more than 6,000 customers.

Ambuja Cements Ltd manufactures and sells cement, concrete, and cement-related products to the building and construction industries. The company's portfolio of products includes Portland Pozolona cement and ordinary Portland cement. The vast majority of the firm's revenue is generated in India. Ambuja Cements has operations throughout India and uses a network of ports, bulk cement terminals, captive ships, and railroads to transport its products to both warehouses and directly to customers. The company also has a technical services team that partners with customers to teach concrete mixing and curing techniques.

Brenntag SE manufactures, distributes, and sells chemicals and chemical-based products. It operates in two reportable segments life science and material science. Life science chemicals are used to produce cosmetics, food, animal nutrition, and pharmaceuticals. The material science chemicals are used to produce soaps and detergents, coatings, and paints as well as the extraction of oil and gas. The company organizes itself into four segments based on geography EMEA, North America, Latin America, and APAC.

Element Solutions Inc is a specialty chemicals company whose businesses supply a broad range of solutions that enhance the performance of products people use every day. The company's reportable segments are Electronics and Industrial & Specialty. The Electronics segment, which generates maximum revenue, researches, formulates, and sells specialty chemicals and process technologies for all types of electronics hardware, from complex printed circuit board designs to semiconductor packaging. This segment's wet chemicals for metallization, surface treatments, and solderable finishes form the physical circuitry pathways, and its assembly materials, such as solder, pastes, fluxes, and adhesives, join those pathways together.

Netherlands-based AkzoNobel is the world's third-largest paint and coatings producer. Europe is the largest market, with around 47% of sales generated in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Cumulatively, the Asia-Pacific and Latin American divisions have grown quickly to more than 40% of sales. Construction-related end markets are the most important, but meaningful revenue is also generated from the industrial, consumer goods, and transportation markets.

Evonik Industries AG is a German chemical company offering a mix of specialty and commodity chemical products. The company engages in the development, construction, distribution, and trade of scientific equipment, chemicals, and accessories for use in the fields of life sciences and biotechnology. The company is organized into four segments: Specialty Additives, Smart Materials, Nutrition & Care, and Technology & Infrastructure. Its geographic segments include Europe, Middle East & Africa; North America; Central & South America; and Asia-Pacific.