Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs Dow (DOW)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
Dow (DOW) has outperformed Air Products and Chemicals (APD) over the past year, gaining 23.4% versus a gain of 2.7%. Over five years, APD leads with a -5.0% price change compared with -52.9% for DOW. Air Products and Chemicals is the larger company by market cap ($61.93 billion vs $20.06 billion), about 3.1 times the size.
On valuation, Dow trades at a lower forward P/E (16.1x vs 19.3x for Air Products and Chemicals). Dow offers the higher dividend yield (5.04% vs 2.59%). Air Products and Chemicals converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of -3.3% versus -6.1%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | APD | DOW |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $278.12 | $27.77 |
| Market cap | $61.93B | $20.06B |
| 1-day change | -1.02% | -1.38% |
| YTD return | +12.59% | +18.78% |
| 1-year return | +2.67% | +23.42% |
| 5-year return | -4.98% | -52.90% |
| Forward P/E | 19.26 | 16.09 |
| EPS (TTM) | $-0.21 | $-1.84 |
| Dividend yield | 2.59% | 5.04% |
| Annual dividend | $7.20 | $1.40 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $12.04B | $39.97B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -0.52% | -6.97% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $-394.50M | $-2.44B |
| Gross margin | 31.41% | 6.34% |
| Operating margin | -7.29% | — |
| Net margin | -3.28% | -6.11% |
| 52-week high | $314.87 | $42.74 |
| 52-week low | $229.11 | $20.65 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -11.67% | -35.03% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +23.50% | +21.10% |
| Average volume | 1.09M | 9.18M |
| Shares outstanding | 222.69M | 722.34M |
| Employees | 21,087 | 32,800 |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Industrials |
| Industry | Major Chemicals | Major Chemicals |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Air Products and Chemicals is about 3.1 times larger than Dow by market value ($61.93B vs $20.06B).
- DOW has outperformed APD by 20.8 percentage points over the past year.
- Dow offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (5.04% vs 2.59%).
- Air Products and Chemicals grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (-0.52% vs -6.97%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Air Products and Chemicals in Basic Materials and Dow in Industrials.
About Air Products and Chemicals
APD stock →Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, equipment, and related services in the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and internationally.
Basic Materials · Major Chemicals · 21,087 employees
About Dow
DOW stock →Dow Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides various materials science solutions for packaging, infrastructure, mobility, and consumer applications in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company operates through Packaging & Specialty Plastics, Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure, and Performance Materials & Coatings segments.
Industrials · Major Chemicals · 32,800 employees
APD vs DOW FAQ
Which is bigger, Air Products and Chemicals or Dow?
Air Products and Chemicals (APD) is larger, with a market capitalization of $61.93B compared with $20.06B for Dow (DOW).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, APD or DOW?
DOW returned +23.42% over the past 12 months, compared with +2.67% for APD (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Air Products and Chemicals or Dow?
Dow has the higher yield at 5.04%, compared with 2.59% for Air Products and Chemicals.
Are Air Products and Chemicals and Dow in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Major Chemicals industry within the Basic Materials sector.