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Element SolutionsFRA:PLQ -0.60%80 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.68 as of Mar. 2026, which is 19% below its 10-year median of 4.55. GuruFocus rates FRA:PLQ with a GF Score™ of 80/100 and a GF Value™ of €27.64 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,234 Chemicals companies, Element Solutions ranks worse than 73.74% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Element Solutions's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
FRA:PLQ'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3.49 Med: 4.55 Max: 23.43
Current: 4.8
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Element Solutions was 23.43. The lowest was 3.49. And the median was 4.55.
FRA:PLQ's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 73.74% of 1234
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 2.155
vs FRA:PLQ: 4.80
Element Solutions (FRA:PLQ) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Element Solutions Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Element Solutions Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Element Solutions's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
FRA:PLQ vs WLK, SOLS, EMN: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Element Solutions's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Element Solutions Debt-to-EBITDA vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Element Solutions's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Element Solutions's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Element Solutions (FRA:PLQ) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.68 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Element Solutions. This is 19% below median its historical median of 4.55. Over the past decade, Element Solutions' Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 3.49 to 23.43. According to the industry distribution chart, Element Solutions ranks #910 out of 1234 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 73.7%.
Is Element Solutions' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Element Solutions' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.68 is 19% below median its 10-year median of 4.55. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.49 to a high of 23.43. The Chemicals industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16. Element Solutions' value of 3.68 is 70.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Element Solutions ranks #910 out of 1234 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Element Solutions has a GF Score™ of 80/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Element Solutions' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to WLK and SOLS?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Element Solutions ranks #910 out of 1234 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Element Solutions in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16. Element Solutions' value of 3.68 is 70.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Element Solutions' own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 3.49 to 23.43 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 4.55 vs. the industry median of 2.16, Element Solutions has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Chemicals company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Chemicals companies is 2.16, based on 1,234 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Element Solutions's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.68 is 70.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Element Solutions. For the Chemicals industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.16 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Element Solutions's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.68, which is 19% below median its own 10-year median of 4.55. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Element Solutions stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Element Solutions (FRA:PLQ) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €27.64, compared to a current price of €33.40 — trading 20.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.68, which is 19% below median its 10-year median of 4.55 and 70.8% above the Chemicals industry median of 2.16. Element Solutions' overall GF Score™ is 80/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Element Solutions (FRA:PLQ), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.68 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Element Solutions (FRA:PLQ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Element Solutions stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €33.40 is trading 20.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of €27.64.
GuruFocus considers Element Solutions to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for FRA:PLQ:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.68 (19% below median its 10-year median of 4.55)
GF Value™: €27.64 vs. price of €33.40 (20.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 70.8% above the Chemicals median (#910 of 1234)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:PLQ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Element Solutions Inc is a specialty chemicals company whose businesses supply a broad range of solutions that enhance the performance of products people use every day. The company's reportable segments are Electronics and Industrial & Specialty. The Electronics segment, which generates maximum revenue, researches, formulates, and sells specialty chemicals and process technologies for all types of electronics hardware, from complex printed circuit board designs to semiconductor packaging. This segment's wet chemicals for metallization, surface treatments, and solderable finishes form the physical circuitry pathways, and its assembly materials, such as solder, pastes, fluxes, and adhesives, join those pathways together.
80GF Score
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