Century Aluminum's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Century Aluminum (CENX) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Century Aluminum vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 2,667M vs 128,893M combined for tracked competitors (2.0% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+12.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+17.0%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Century Aluminum generated 19.7% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 27.5% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 32.4% net margin compares with 9.9% for the peer group.
- Scale: Century Aluminum ranks #2 of 3 companies by market capitalization in the Aluminum industry, holding 25.8% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Century Aluminum accounted for 2.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 2.1% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.92M compares with $1.38M for the peer group (0.7x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CENX Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Century Aluminum reported revenue growth of 19.74 % year on year in Q2 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 27.50 %.
With a net margin of 32.42 %, Century Aluminum achieved higher profitability than its competitors (9.89 %).
Century Aluminum generated 1.96 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 2.08 % a year earlier.
Century Aluminum vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Century Aluminum and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (1) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Century Aluminum's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Aluminum industry grew revenue 1.7% year over year, combined, vs 19.7% for Century Aluminum. Century Aluminum's share of combined industry revenue moved from 1.36% to 1.60%, a gain of 0.24 percentage points.
Century Aluminum's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (21) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CENX Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CENX Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
CENX Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viavi Solutions Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Ati Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Materion Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Kaiser Aluminum Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Arcelormittal | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Century Aluminum's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Century Aluminum's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
The market for primary aluminum is global, and demand for aluminum varies widely from region to region. We compete with U.S. and international companies in the aluminum industry as well as with materials such as steel, copper, carbon fiber, composites, plastic and glass, each of which may be substituted for aluminum in certain applications.
Our Hawesville plant is located adjacent to Southwire, a large purchaser of
premium grade, high-purity aluminum for electrical wire and cable products.
This location allows Hawesville to deliver a portion of its production in molten
form, saving casting costs, and providing a competitive advantage over other
potential suppliers. In addition, Hawesville is the largest producer of high
purity aluminum in North America.
We believe that the proximity of Iceland to European markets provides a competitive
advantage for Grundartangi including logistical benefits and freight savings
compared to our competitors outside the European Economic Area ("EEA").
As a member of the EEA, Iceland has duty free access to these European markets.
Our U.S. facilities benefit from the proximity to our U.S. customer base, allowing
us to capture the Midwest regional delivery premium and providing a competitive
advantage in freight costs over our competitors.
Publicly Traded Peers of Century Aluminum Company
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | 3,919.52 | 2,667.20 |
| Nucor Corporation | 55,865.97 | 36,101.00 |
| Arcelormittal | 53,505.10 | 61,352.00 |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 33,312.32 | 20,538.68 |
| Ati Inc | 24,986.66 | 4,715.20 |
| Mueller Industries Inc | 13,486.08 | 4,661.14 |
| SUBTOTAL | 248,705.26 | 210,018.09 |
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Sources: Century Aluminum Company's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Century Aluminum Company versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Century Aluminum's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | Reportable 100.00 % |
| Nucor Corporation | Steel mills 63.56 % |
| Ati Inc | High Performance Materials & Components 56.92 % |
| Mueller Industries Inc | Piping Systems 63.75 % |
| United States Steel Corp | Flat Rolled Products 60.10 % |
| Alcoa Corp | Aluminum 79.58 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Century Aluminum's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | 3,920 | 917,825 | 196,146 |
| Nucor Corporation | 55,866 | 1,093,970 | 98,667 |
| Arcelormittal | 53,505 | 475,596,899 | 25,139,535 |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 33,312 | 1,426,297 | 111,065 |
| Ati Inc | 24,987 | 620,421 | 64,329 |
| Mueller Industries Inc | 13,486 | 964,639 | 177,331 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 244,786 | 1,376,064 | 84,112 |
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Century Aluminum's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | United States 86.55 % |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | US 92.24 % |
| Ati Inc | United States 60.14 % |
| Viavi Solutions Inc | United States 37.92 % |
| Remitly Global Inc | United States 65.76 % |
| Azz Inc | United States 97.20 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
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Century Aluminum's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 3 companies in Century Aluminum's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Century Aluminum ranks #2 of 3 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 25.77 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 6,126, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alcoa Corp | 11,242 | 73.91 % |
| 2 | Century Aluminum Company | 3,920 | 25.77 % |
| 3 | Accendra Health inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Century Aluminum's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Century Aluminum's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alcoa Corp | 11,242 | 33.67 % |
| 2 | Century Aluminum Company | 3,920 | 45.74 % |
| 3 | Accendra Health inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Century Aluminum's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Century Aluminum's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Aluminum industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (3 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 18.98 % | 22.82 % (avg) | -3.8 pp |
| Operating Margin | 25.38 % | industry median | +13.2 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 26.51 % | 14.18 % (avg) | +12.3 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 7.11 % | 6.14 % (avg) | +1.0 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Century Aluminum's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Aluminum industry average (3 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 9.3x | 10.8x | -1.5x |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.4x | 8.6x | -0.1x |
| P/B | 5.1x | 3.7x | +1.4x |
| Return on Equity | 51.28 % | industry aggregate | 28.05 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 23.88 % | 10.63 % (avg) | 13.25 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Century Aluminum's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 19.14 % | -2.99 % | -12.60 % | 33.74 % | 25.74 % | -21.33 % | 1.37 % | 14.13 % |
| Operating Margin | -3.12 % | -3.93 % | -5.02 % | 4.11 % | -5.41 % | 1.46 % | 9.23 % | 6.25 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -2.69 % | -3.62 % | -4.33 % | 5.75 % | -10.37 % | 2.43 % | 11.44 % | 8.97 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6.5x | 88.0x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Century Aluminum's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Century Aluminum's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Century Aluminum is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Century Aluminum's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Century Aluminum's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Century Aluminum falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.35x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 6.0% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Alcoa Corp alone holds 74% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Century Aluminum's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 6,126 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 7.11 % vs industry average 6.14 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Century Aluminum's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Century Aluminum's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Century Aluminum's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Century Aluminum falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Century Aluminum's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 13.2 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 28.1 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+12.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.35x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (9.3x vs 10.8x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Alcoa Corp, holding 73.91 % of industry market cap.
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Century Aluminum's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | 0.40 | 2.18 | 0.48 |
| Nucor Corporation | 0.52 | 2.76 | 0.31 |
| Arcelormittal | 0.24 | 1.36 | 0.05 |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 0.31 | 3.12 | 0.46 |
| Ati Inc | 0.44 | 2.52 | 1.29 |
| Mueller Industries Inc | 2.68 | 5.17 | 0.00 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Century Aluminum's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | Q2 2026 | +19.7 % | - |
| Nucor Corporation | Q2 2026 | +23.0 % | +81.3 % |
| Arcelormittal | Q4 2025 | -1.7 % | +135.0 % |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | Q2 2026 | +33.4 % | +76.2 % |
| Ati Inc | Q2 2026 | +10.6 % | +48.4 % |
| Mueller Industries Inc | Q2 2026 | +25.5 % | +0.5 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +6.9 % | +103.4 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Century Aluminum's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | Q2 2026 | -11.4 % | +150.4 % |
| Nucor Corporation | Q2 2026 | +15.6 % | -40.1 % |
| Arcelormittal | Q4 2025 | +1.1 % | - |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | Q2 2026 | +30.0 % | -57.0 % |
| Ati Inc | Q2 2026 | +5.9 % | -4.9 % |
| Mueller Industries Inc | Q2 2026 | +31.5 % | +52.9 % |
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Century Aluminum's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | 22.53% | 31.45% | 49.48% |
| Nucor Corporation | 9.14% | 9.96% | 14.49% |
| Arcelormittal | 3.32% | 4.09% | 5.74% |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 9.66% | 10.53% | 17.76% |
| Ati Inc | 9.28% | 10.11% | 25.64% |
| Mueller Industries Inc | 21.93% | 24.78% | 25.84% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Century Aluminum's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Century Aluminum Company | 6.46 | 1.47 |
| Nucor Corporation | 19.51 | 1.55 |
| Arcelormittal | 16.97 | 0.87 |
| Steel Dynamics Inc | 20.94 | 1.62 |
| Ati Inc | 53.14 | 5.30 |
| Mueller Industries Inc | 15.88 | 2.89 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 18.78 | 1.18 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.