CCK vs ATI vs NUE vs RS vs CENX

For growth investors, Century Aluminum Company (CENX) is the stronger pick with 13.

9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 3. 3% for Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS). Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK) offers the better valuation at 15. 8x trailing P/E (12. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK) a "Buy" — based on 25 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Crown Holdings, Inc.

(CCK) is the cheapest at 15. 8x versus Century Aluminum Company at 144. 2x. On forward P/E, Century Aluminum Company is actually cheaper at 5. 8x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Nucor Corporation wins at 0. 62x versus Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. 's 0. 96x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, ATI Inc.

(ATI) delivered a total return of +572. 7%, compared to -6. 9% for Crown Holdings, Inc. (CCK). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ATI returned +1050% versus CCK's +98. 0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Crown Holdings, Inc.

(CCK) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 48β versus Century Aluminum Company's 1. 74β — meaning CENX is approximately 262% more volatile than CCK relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 28% versus 177% for Crown Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Century Aluminum Company (CENX) is pulling ahead at 13.

9% versus 3. 3% for Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Crown Holdings, Inc. grew EPS 79. 7% year-over-year, compared to -87. 2% for Century Aluminum Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, ATI leads at 6. 1% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

ATI Inc.

(ATI) is the more profitable company, earning 8. 8% net margin versus 1. 7% for Century Aluminum Company — meaning it keeps 8. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ATI leads at 13. 8% versus 6. 3% for CENX. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — RS leads at 26. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Nucor Corporation (NUE) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 62x versus Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. 's 0. 96x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Century Aluminum Company (CENX) trades at 5. 8x forward P/E versus 37. 9x for ATI Inc. — 32. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CENX: 25. 5% to $76. 00.

In this comparison, RS (1.

3% yield), CCK (1. 0% yield), NUE (1. 0% yield) pay a dividend. ATI, CENX do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

(RS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 75), 1. 3% yield, +463. 7% 10Y return). Century Aluminum Company (CENX) carries a higher beta of 1. 74 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (RS: +463. 7%, CENX: +794. 8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (CCK (Consumer Cyclical) and ATI (Industrials) and NUE (Basic Materials) and RS (Basic Materials) and CENX (Basic Materials)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: CCK is a mid-cap deep-value stock; ATI is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; NUE is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; RS is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; CENX is a small-cap quality compounder stock. CCK, NUE, RS pay a dividend while ATI, CENX do not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.