SEB vs. SQM

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

SEB (Seaboard Corporation) and SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.) are both stocks. SEB operates in Conglomerates (Industrials), while SQM operates in Chemicals (Basic Materials). Over the past 10 years, SEB returned 6.41%/yr vs 17.70%/yr for SQM. At a 0.13 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

SEB vs. SQM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Seaboard Corporation (SEB) and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SEB achieves a 18.41% return, which is significantly higher than SQM's 15.51% return. Over the past 10 years, SEB has underperformed SQM with an annualized return of 6.41%, while SQM has yielded a comparatively higher 17.70% annualized return.

SEB

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: -5.80%
• YTD: 18.41%
• 6M: 15.98%
• 1Y: 92.25%
• 3Y*: 12.01%
• 5Y*: 7.21%
• 10Y*: 6.41%

SQM

• 1D: -2.80%
• 1M: -11.45%
• YTD: 15.51%
• 6M: 26.25%
• 1Y: 158.32%
• 3Y*: 6.55%
• 5Y*: 16.20%
• 10Y*: 17.70%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SEB vs. SQM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SEB Seaboard Corporation	18.41%	83.47%	-31.75%	-5.21%	-3.84%	30.14%	-28.49%	20.41%	-19.65%	11.76%
SQM Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.	15.51%	89.55%	-39.35%	-18.47%	71.62%	6.82%	89.19%	-27.30%	-32.71%	115.00%

Correlation

The correlation between SEB and SQM is 0.18, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.18
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.13
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.13
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 1993	0.13

Fundamentals

Market Cap SEB : $5.04B SQM : $22.39B
EPS SEB : $605.72 SQM : $2.86
PE Ratio SEB : 8.68 SQM : 27.46
PEG Ratio SEB : 0.10 SQM : 0.16
PS Ratio SEB : 0.51 SQM : 4.22
PB Ratio SEB : 0.94 SQM : 3.83
Total Revenue (TTM) SEB : $9.83B SQM : $5.31B
Gross Profit (TTM) SEB : $535.00M SQM : $1.83B
EBITDA (TTM) SEB : $587.00M SQM : $1.75B

Return for Risk

SEB vs. SQM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SEB

SEB Risk / Return Rank: 88
SEB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
SEB Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
SEB Omega Ratio Rank: 90
SEB Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
SEB Martin Ratio Rank: 88

SQM

SQM Risk / Return Rank: 93
SQM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
SQM Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
SQM Omega Ratio Rank: 89
SQM Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
SQM Martin Ratio Rank: 95

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SEB vs. SQM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Seaboard Corporation (SEB) and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	SEB	SQM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.55	3.16	-0.61
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.71	3.47	-0.76
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	1.42	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.86	8.18	-4.32
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.97	21.01	-10.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SEB vs. SQM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SEB Sharpe Ratio is 2.55, which is comparable to the SQM Sharpe Ratio of 3.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SEB and SQM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SEB	SQM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.55	3.16	-0.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25	0.33	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.22	0.39	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.42	-0.05

Drawdowns

SEB vs. SQM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SEB drawdown since its inception was -70.20%, smaller than the maximum SQM drawdown of -78.34%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SEB and SQM.

Drawdown Indicators

	SEB	SQM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.20%	-78.34%	+8.14%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.03%	-19.47%	-4.56%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-38.87%	-61.32%	+22.45%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.00%	-69.76%	+25.76%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-48.37%	-72.98%	+24.61%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.72%	-19.84%	+8.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.09%	-30.33%	+6.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.44%	7.57%	+0.87%

Volatility

SEB vs. SQM - Volatility Comparison

Seaboard Corporation (SEB) has a higher volatility of 18.89% compared to Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) at 11.83%. This indicates that SEB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SQM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SEB	SQM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	18.89%	11.83%	+7.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	29.44%	35.12%	-5.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.40%	50.42%	-14.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.55%	49.65%	-21.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	29.32%	46.05%	-16.73%

Dividends

SEB vs. SQM - Dividend Comparison

SEB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.17%, less than SQM's 1.47% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SEB Seaboard Corporation	0.17%	0.20%	0.37%	0.25%	0.24%	0.23%	0.30%	0.21%	0.17%	0.14%	0.00%	0.00%
SQM Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A.	1.47%	0.18%	0.59%	8.34%	9.66%	3.92%	1.64%	4.55%	5.37%	2.73%	4.77%	2.00%

Financials

SEB vs. SQM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Seaboard Corporation and Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SEB - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Seaboard Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 2.40B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

SQM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported a gross profit of 778.60M and revenue of 1.76B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 44.2%.

SEB - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Seaboard Corporation reported an operating income of 96.00M and revenue of 2.40B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.0%.

SQM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported an operating income of 729.70M and revenue of 1.76B, resulting in an operating margin of 41.5%.

SEB - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Seaboard Corporation reported a net income of 119.00M and revenue of 2.40B, resulting in a net margin of 5.0%.

SQM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. reported a net income of 364.70M and revenue of 1.76B, resulting in a net margin of 20.7%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SEB and SQM in my portfolio?

SEB and SQM have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SEB or SQM?

SEB has higher volatility (18.89%) compared to SQM (11.83%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SEB dropped -70.20% vs SQM's -78.34%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SQM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.16 vs 2.55), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.