Glencore vs Anglo American, side by side
Both are global mining companies listed in London, and both make money largely from digging up and shipping raw materials, so their fortunes rise and fall with commodity prices. The difference is breadth. Glencore runs a huge commodity-trading arm alongside its mines and is still a big coal producer. Anglo American is a more focused diversified miner, spanning metals like copper and iron ore, and has recently been restructuring after being a takeover target.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and momentum, and weakest on quality.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and momentum, and weakest on income.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure |  Glencore |  Anglo American plc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5.43 | £37.33 |
| Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'. | £63.63B | £40.00B |
| P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 271.5 | — |
| Div yield: Dividend yield: the yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn just from dividends. | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Revenue growth | 14.3% | 10.9% |
| 1Y: How much the share price has moved over the past year. | +78% | +81% |
More measures
| Forward P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 12.2 | 21.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 0.1% | -13.9% |
| ROE | 0.3% | -3.1% |
| Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. | 0.51 | 0.97 |
The bolder figure is simply the larger of the two - higher is not automatically good (a higher P/E means more expectation in the price; a higher beta means bigger swings).
How they differ
Glencore is roughly 1.6x the size of Anglo American plc by market value. On our factor screen Glencore currently screens higher on value and income, while Anglo American plc screens higher on quality. Glencore currently yields more (2.3% vs 0.8%). Anglo American plc's shares have historically been the bumpier of the two (beta 0.97 vs 0.51).
Descriptive only - how the two compare on today's data, never a verdict on either.
Glencore, in one line
Glencore is a global giant that digs up, processes, and trades the raw materials—like copper, coal, and zinc—that keep the modern world running.
Read the full Glencore explainer →Anglo American plc, in one line
Anglo American is a global mining giant that digs up everything from copper and iron ore to diamonds to supply the world's industrial needs.
Read the full Anglo American plc explainer →What to weigh
If dividend income matters to you, the yields differ (2.3% Glencore vs 0.8% Anglo American plc); and if sharp swings bother you, the betas differ (0.51 vs 0.97). These are facts to understand, not a verdict - read each full explainer before deciding anything.
Common questions
What is the main difference between Glencore and Anglo American?
Both mine and market raw materials, but Glencore also runs a large trading business that handles commodities produced by others, and it remains a significant coal producer. Anglo American concentrates on mining a spread of materials such as copper and iron ore, without a comparable trading arm of that size.
Why are both so sensitive to commodity prices?
Because raw materials are where most of their revenue comes from. When prices for coal, copper or iron ore rise, their earnings can jump, and when prices fall, earnings can drop sharply. Glencore's trading arm can soften or add to these swings, while Anglo American's results track the metals it digs up.