Cabot's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Cabot (CBT) 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: Cabot vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 3,634M vs 123,340M combined for its competitors (2.9% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+8.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+13.2%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Cabot generated 6.4% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs -19.5% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 1.4% net margin compares with 5.4% for the peer group.
- Scale: Cabot ranks #20 of 81 companies by market capitalization in the Chemical Manufacturing industry, holding 0.7% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Cabot accounted for 2.7% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 2.1% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.89M compares with $0.72M for the peer group (1.2x).
- Structure: Cabot operates in the following segments: Reinforcement Materials, Performance Chemicals.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CBT Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Cabot reported revenue growth of 6.39 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue change of -19.50 %.
With a net margin of 1.43 %, Cabot reported lower profitability than its competitors (5.37 %).
Cabot generated 2.74 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 2.08 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Cabot 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 Cabot reports; 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 Cabot and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (9) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Cabot's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Chemical Manufacturing industry grew revenue 1.9% year over year, combined, vs 6.4% for Cabot. Cabot's share of combined industry revenue moved from 1.01% to 1.06%, a gain of 0.04 percentage points.
Cabot's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | Yes | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (37) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (3) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 37.50 % (3 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) |
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.
CBT Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CBT Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
CBT Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
CBT 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 | Enviri Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Ecopetrol S a | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Nn Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Quanex Building Products Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Valaris Limited | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Cabot's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Cabot's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
We are one of the leading manufacturers of carbon black in the world. We compete in the manufacture of carbon black primarily with two companies with a global presence and numerous other companies that operate regionally, some of which export product outside their region. Competition for products within Reinforcement Materials is based on product performance, quality, reliability, price, service, technical innovation, and logistics. We believe our product differentiation, technological leadership, global manufacturing presence, operations and logistics excellence and customer service provide us with a competitive advantage.
We are a leading producer of the products we sell in this segment. We compete in the manufacture of carbon black primarily with two companies with a global presence and several other companies that have a regional presence, some of which export product outside their region. We compete with several companies that produce specialty compounds, primarily in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Our inkjet colorants and inks are designed to replace traditional pigment dispersions and dyes used in inkjet printing applications. Competitive products for inkjet colorants are organic dyes and other dispersed pigments manufactured and marketed by large chemical companies and small independent producers. For fumed silica, we compete primarily with two companies with a global presence and several other companies which have a regional presence. For aerogel, we compete principally with one other company that produces aerogel products. We also compete with non-aerogel insulation products manufactured by regional companies throughout the world.
Competition for our products is based on product performance, quality, reliability,
service, technical innovation and price. We believe our product differentiation,
technological leadership, operations excellence and customer service provide
us with a competitive advantage.
Publicly Traded Peers of Cabot Corporation
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Cabot Corporation |
3,694.60 | 3,634.00 |
 Ecopetrol S a |
31,970.80 | 30,513.17 |
 Ppg Industries Inc |
27,315.22 | 16,692.00 |
 Dow Inc |
22,840.36 | 40,494.00 |
 Dupont De Nemours Inc |
19,794.85 | 3,526.00 |
 Lyondellbasell Industries N v |
19,627.28 | 31,964.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 213,929.77 | 205,887.61 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Cabot Corporation versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Cabot's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Cabot reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Arq Inc | Company report | 85% |
| MEEC | Company report | 85% |
| Birchtech Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Ingevity Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Reinforcement Materials | Company report | 85% |
| Celanese Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Albemarle Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Avient Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| W R Grace and co | Company report | 85% |
| Dow Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Rpm International Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Kronos Worldwide inc | Company report | 85% |
| Eastman Chemical Co | Company report | 85% |
| Tronox Holdings Plc | Company report | 85% |
| Nl Industries inc | Company report | 85% |
| Ppg Industries Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Huntsman Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | Company report | 85% |
| Nn Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Quaker Chemical Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Ferro Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Cabot's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | Reinforcement Materials 62.08 % |
| Ppg Industries Inc | Industrial Coatings 40.06 % |
| Dow Inc | Operating Segment Total 98.39 % |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | Diversified Industrials 52.87 % |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | Olefins and Polyolefins - Americas 37.42 % |
| Albemarle Corporation | Energy Storage 72.04 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (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).
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | 3,695 | 886,341 | 55,610 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 31,971 | 1,271,382 | 153,423 |
| Ppg Industries Inc | 27,315 | 383,724 | 36,368 |
| Dow Inc | 22,840 | 1,170,347 | -38,728 |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | 19,795 | 235,067 | 20,933 |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | 19,627 | 1,684,976 | 68,635 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 210,235 | 721,644 | 15,251 |
Cabot's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | Asia Pacific 35.86 % |
| Ppg Industries Inc | North America 33.22 % |
| Dow Inc | U.S.& Canada 40.37 % |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | Asia Pacific 23.77 % |
| Rpm International Inc | US 70.18 % |
| Axalta Coating Systems Ltd | North America 33.94 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Cabot's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 76 companies in Cabot's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Cabot ranks #20 of 76 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.73 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 2,476, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linde Plc | 239,345 | 46.99 % |
| 2 | Air Products And Chemicals Inc | 67,918 | 13.33 % |
| 3 | Ppg Industries Inc | 27,401 | 5.38 % |
| 4 | International Flavors and Fragrances Inc | 21,233 | 4.17 % |
| 5 | Lyondellbasell Industries N v | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Rpm International Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Westlake Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Corteva Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Axalta Coating Systems Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Element Solutions Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 20 | Cabot Corporation | 3,695 | 0.73 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Cabot's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Perimeter Solutions Inc | 4,821 | 9.46 % |
| 16 | Methanex Corporation | 4,816 | 78.53 % |
| 17 | Valvoline Inc | 4,470 | 9.00 % |
| 18 | Csw Industrials Inc | 4,447 | 14.57 % |
| 19 | Azz Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 20 | Cabot Corporation | 3,695 | 18.60 % |
| 21 | Ashland Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 22 | Hawkins Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 23 | Wd 40 Company | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 24 | Fuller H B Co | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 25 | Quaker Chemical Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Cabot's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Cabot's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Chemical Manufacturing industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (116 companies). See the full Chemical Manufacturing industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 22.70 % | 22.63 % (avg) | +0.1 pp |
| Operating Margin | 13.57 % | industry median | +7.0 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 21.11 % | 1.56 % (avg) | +19.6 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | - | 7.75 % (avg) | - |
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.
Cabot's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Chemical Manufacturing industry average (116 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. See the full Chemical Manufacturing industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 23.2x | 26.6x | -3.4x |
| EV / EBITDA | 6.7x | 13.4x | -6.6x |
| P/B | 2.5x | 3.8x | -1.4x |
| Return on Equity | 13.35 % | industry aggregate | 9.58 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 10.92 % | -0.80 % (avg) | 11.72 % |
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.
Cabot's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 18.29 % | -2.99 % | -18.81 % | 37.90 % | 18.92 % | -9.12 % | 1.45 % | -9.39 % |
| Operating Margin | -2.63 % | 9.00 % | 2.89 % | 6.97 % | 13.36 % | 14.19 % | 15.55 % | 16.50 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -2.40 % | 7.86 % | 2.11 % | 7.34 % | 16.53 % | 14.13 % | 14.16 % | 13.19 % |
| P/E | 37.1x | 21.3x | - | 32.9x | 11.6x | 9.7x | 14.3x | 11.7x |
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.
Cabot's Strategic Group Map
Cabot is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Cabot's trailing-12-month revenue growth of -4.5% and operating margin of 13.6% compares with an average of -2.1% growth and 12.9% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Cabot sits below that peer average on growth and above it on margin.
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.
Cabot's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Cabot falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.02x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 2.4% (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: Linde Plc alone holds 47% 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.
Cabot'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 | Moderate | Industry HHI of 2,476 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Cabot's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Cabot's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Cabot falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
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.
Cabot'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 7.0 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 9.6 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+8.1% 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 (0.02x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (23.2x vs 26.6x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Linde Plc, holding 46.99 % of industry market cap.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | 0.25 | 1.53 | 0.68 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 0.11 | 0.54 | 0.95 |
| Ppg Industries Inc | 0.34 | 1.60 | 0.88 |
| Dow Inc | 0.40 | 1.87 | 1.01 |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | 0.59 | 2.47 | 0.23 |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | 0.44 | 1.68 | 1.79 |
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.
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | Q2 2026 | +6.4 % | -87.6 % |
| Ecopetrol S a | Q4 2025 | -7.1 % | -19.2 % |
| Ppg Industries Inc | Q3 2026 | +6.6 % | +0.9 % |
| Dow Inc | Q3 2026 | +11.5 % | - |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | Q3 2026 | -38.2 % | - |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | Q3 2026 | +10.0 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | -0.7 % | +355.9 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Cabot'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | Q2 2026 | +17.5 % | -37.7 % |
| Ecopetrol S a | Q4 2025 | -3.3 % | +6.2 % |
| Ppg Industries Inc | Q3 2026 | +6.7 % | +5.4 % |
| Dow Inc | Q3 2026 | +3.9 % | +98.0 % |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | Q3 2026 | +1.9 % | -4.1 % |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | Q3 2026 | +2.7 % | -25.4 % |
Cabot's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | 5.88% | 8.12% | 13.35% |
| Ecopetrol S a | 5.12% | 7.30% | 13.53% |
| Ppg Industries Inc | 7.08% | 9.09% | 18.85% |
| Dow Inc | - | - | - |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | 1.48% | 1.58% | 2.25% |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | 3.80% | 4.40% | 12.38% |
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).
Cabot's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Cabot Corporation | 20.13 | 1.02 |
| Ecopetrol S a | 119.09 | 1.05 |
| Ppg Industries Inc | 17.68 | 1.64 |
| Dow Inc | - | 0.56 |
| Dupont De Nemours Inc | 71.47 | 5.61 |
| Lyondellbasell Industries N v | 15.26 | 0.61 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 47.51 | 1.04 |
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.