ESIElement Solutions Inc

$36.32+38% 1Y

Is the business good?

Mixed

The checks split: nothing decisive, though margins widening.

1 good, 1 neutral, 2 without data
Margin direction, 3 years+1.5 pts

Negative operating leverage, costs are rising faster than sales, squeezing margins as it grows.

Where ROE comes from4% ROA

A balanced mix of margins, efficiency, and leverage. ROE 8% = margin × turnover × leverage.

All from derived.

Against the whole market›

Percentile against every name Ryufin tracks. Higher is better; the tick marks the middle of the market. Context, not one of the checks above.

Leverage (Debt/EBITDA)behind 73% of the market

Where this answer is blind. The F-score rewards improvement, so an already-elite company can score mid-pack.

How good a business is ESI?

Element Solutions Inc earns 6.3% on the capital it employs against a 9.0% cost of capital, so growth costs more than it returns.

6.3%

Return on invested capital · cost of capital 9.0% · 2.7 points below what the capital costs: growth destroys value

Operating margin
13%

Operating margin · Specialty Chemicals median 7.4% · 12 months to Q1 2026

Share count, year on year
+0.29%

Share count, year on year · flat: no meaningful dilution

R&D as % of revenue
2.6%

R&D as % of revenue

Operating margin by fiscal year
YearOperating margin
FY202013%
FY202113%
FY202213%
FY20237.4%
FY202414%
FY202513%
Details›
Gross margin12 months to Q1 2026
41%
Operating margin12 months to Q1 2026
13%
Net margin12 months to Q1 2026
5.3%
R&D as % of revenue
2.6%
Revenue, trailing twelve months
$2.80B
Net income, trailing twelve months
$149M
Return on invested capitaloperating profit after tax ÷ debt + equity − cash
6.3%

Margins, capital and share counts from the statements as filed with the SEC; cash conversion is operating cash flow over operating profit after tax.