Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG)
Ecolab Inc. and PPG Industries, Inc. are both Specialty Chemicals companies. Ecolab Inc. is the larger, with a market value of $77.2B against $23.6B — 3.3× the size. PPG Industries, Inc. trades at the lower P/E: 15.3× against 37.3×. Ecolab Inc. grew revenue faster over the last twelve months: 7.11% against 4.99%. Ecolab Inc. has the higher net margin (12.6% vs 9.57%) and the lower return on invested capital (9.83% vs 9.87%). Both pay a dividend; PPG Industries, Inc. yields more (1.92% vs 1.06%). Across the 23 metrics below, PPG Industries, Inc. leads on 14 and Ecolab Inc. on 9.
Valuation
Profitability
| Metric | ECL | PPG | Specialty Chemicals median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 44.11% | 40.90% | 29.23% |
| Operating margin | 16.93% | 13.35% | 3.63% |
| Net margin | 12.57% | 9.57% | 2.89% |
| Free cash flow margin | 11.20% | 8.57% | 3.78% |
| Return on equity | 21.78% | 19.25% | 3.62% |
| Return on assets | 7.89% | 7.04% | 0.35% |
| Return on invested capital | 9.83% | 9.87% | 2.75% |
Growth
Health
Dividend
Size
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