Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) versus Tantech (NASDAQ:TANH) Head-To-Head Analysis

Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE:APD) and Tantech (NASDAQ:TANH) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Air Products and Chemicals and Tantech’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Air Products and Chemicals	12.86%	15.11%	6.79%
Tantech	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Air Products and Chemicals and Tantech, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Air Products and Chemicals	1	4	10	1	2.69
Tantech	0	0	0	0	0.00

Air Products and Chemicals currently has a consensus target price of $335.0667, suggesting a potential upside of 14.60%. Given Air Products and Chemicals’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Air Products and Chemicals is more favorable than Tantech.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Air Products and Chemicals and Tantech”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Air Products and Chemicals	$12.10 billion	5.38	$3.83 billion	$6.95	42.07
Tantech	$42.94 million	0.00	-$3.24 million	N/A	N/A

Air Products and Chemicals has higher revenue and earnings than Tantech.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

81.7% of Air Products and Chemicals shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.0% of Tantech shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Air Products and Chemicals shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.8% of Tantech shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

Air Products and Chemicals has a beta of 0.81, meaning that its share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Tantech has a beta of 0.33, meaning that its share price is 67% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Air Products and Chemicals beats Tantech on 12 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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. The company produces atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and syngas; and specialty gases for customers in various industries, including refining, chemical, manufacturing, electronics, energy production, medical, food, and metals. It also designs and manufactures equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and liquid helium and liquid hydrogen transport and storage. The company was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

About Tantech

Tantech Holdings Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures bamboo-based charcoal products for industrial energy, household cooking, heating, purification, agricultural, and cleaning applications in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Consumer Products, Electric Vehicles, and Biodegradable Packaging. It provides pressed and formed charcoal briquettes for use in grills, incense burners, and other applications under the Algold brand. The company also offers Charcoal Doctor branded products, such as air purifiers and humidifiers, automotive accessories for air purification, underfloor humidity control products, pillows and mattresses, wardrobe deodorizers, mouse pads and wrist mats, refrigerator deodorants, charcoal toilet cleaner disks, liquid charcoal cleaners, shoe insoles, and decorative charcoal gifts. In addition, it provides bamboo vinegar, a liquid byproduct for use in disinfectants, detergents, lotions, specialized soaps, toilet cleaners, and fertilizers, as well as in various agricultural applications; and trades in charcoal products. Further, the company develops and sells electric buses, electric logistics cars, and specialty electric vehicles, such as brushless cleaning cars, electric cleaning cars, special emergency vehicles, and funeral cars; and solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, auto parts, and electric control systems. It is also involved in the biodegradable packaging and supply chain businesses, as well as provides commercial factoring services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Lishui, the People's Republic of China.