Albemarle Corp. vs Burlington Stores Inc — how do they compare? Albemarle Corp. trades at $128.54 (market cap $15.27B), while Burlington Stores Inc trades at $354.86 (market cap $22.59B). The key difference: Burlington Stores Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Albemarle Corp. pays a 1.27% dividend while Burlington Stores Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALB | BURL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $15.27B | $22.59B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $215.62 | $372.19 |
52-Week Low | $72.58 | $242.43 |
Enterprise Value | $17.75B | $27.71B |
Dividend Yield | 1.27% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Albemarle (ALB) trades at $128.29, down 2.23% today, with mixed technical signals showing bullish moving averages but overbought RSI levels. The company reported strong Q2 2026 results with EPS of $3.75 beating estimates by 17%, driven by improved lithium pricing and specialty chemicals performance. Despite recent profitability challenges with negative net income in 2025, cash flow generation remains healthy at $1.28B from operations.
Analyst consensus leans positive with 42% buy ratings and $184.50 price target representing 44% upside potential. Key risks include lithium price volatility and Q3 margin pressure, while catalysts include sustained demand for energy storage solutions and ongoing balance sheet improvements through debt reduction.
Burlington Stores (BURL) trades at $353.63, down 4.81% in the last session but maintains strong fundamental momentum with consistent earnings beats and robust revenue growth. The stock shows a bullish technical setup with key support at $346 and resistance at $365, while fundamentals reveal impressive profitability with 39.14% ROE and expanding margins. Recent news highlights the company's successful smaller-store strategy and upward revised 2026 outlook.
BURL presents a compelling growth opportunity with 94% analyst buy ratings and a $367 consensus target offering 3.8% upside. However, elevated valuation multiples (P/E 36.92) and competitive retail pressures warrant caution. The company's debt-to-asset ratio rising to 20.99% in 2026 and recent insider selling of $619,200 worth of shares represent notable risk factors for investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer. Our outlook for robust lithium demand is predicated upon increased demand for electric vehicle batteries. Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits in Chile and the U.S. and its hard rock joint venture mines in Australia. Albemarle is also a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants. The company is also a major producer of oil refining catalysts.
Read more on ALB →Burlington is a leading off-price retailer in the US, offering branded apparel, footwear, and home goods at significant discounts. It operates hundreds of stores focused on delivering high-quality products at great value.
Read more on BURL →