Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. trades at $300.37 (market cap $66.70B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $23.36 (market cap $61.20B). The key difference: Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. and United Microelectronics Corp are close in size by market cap, and Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.42%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| APD | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $66.70B | $61.20B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Technology |
52-Week High | $314.19 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $230.42 | $6.58 |
Enterprise Value | $84.11B | $58.77B |
Dividend Yield | 2.42% | 1.69% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
APD trades at $299.53, up 1.24% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong analyst support. Recent earnings beats and strategic project exits, like the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, have boosted investor confidence. The company maintains solid profitability margins but faces pressure from a negative net income in 2025 due to a pre-tax charge. Cash flow trends show volatility, with significant investing outflows for growth initiatives.
The outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $324.89, implying ~8% upside. Risks include high debt levels, execution on new projects, and macroeconomic sensitivity. Long-term growth is supported by renewable energy investments, but near-term profitability recovery is key for sustained gains.
UMC trades at $24.34, down 2.09% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. Revenue grew to $237.55B in 2025, though net income margin compressed to 16.99%. Recent June 2026 sales rose 22.85% year-over-year, and the company launched a 14nm eHV FinFET platform for display drivers. Analyst consensus is mixed with 27% buy ratings, while institutional sentiment leans positive amid AI and automotive chip demand.
Outlook: UMC benefits from specialty semiconductor demand, but high P/E of 39.52 and margin pressures pose valuation risks. Earnings beats and dividend payments support income investors, yet competition and cyclical industry volatility require caution for growth-focused shareholders.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 largest supplier of hydrogen and helium in the world. It has a unique portfolio serving customers in a number of industries, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, metals, and electronics. Air Products generated $10.3 billion in revenue in fiscal 2021.
Read more on APD →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →