Is APD or ECL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, APD is cheaper: APD trades at a 29.79 P/E and ECL at 35.91.

Which has grown faster, APD or ECL?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — APD at a 6.12% CAGR versus ECL at 7.14%.

Does APD or ECL pay a bigger dividend?

APD yields 2.55% and ECL yields 1.04% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is APD or ECL more profitable?

APD runs the higher net margin — APD at 16.91% versus ECL at 12.80%.

Which has been the better investment, APD or ECL?

Over the past 10-year, APD delivered the higher annualized total return — APD at 10.26% versus ECL at 9.42%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) vs Ecolab Inc. (ECL)

APD leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Ecolab Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

APD

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

$62.71B

$281.62Basic Materials

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$74.70B

$265.41Basic Materials

Total return — APD vs ECL

growth of $100 · last 30y

APD +950.4%ECL +3105.4%ECL compounded faster

APD ECL

APD vs ECL: by the numbers

•ECL is the larger company ($74.70B vs $62.71B market cap).
•APD trades at the lower earnings multiple (29.79 vs 35.91 P/E).
•APD converts more revenue to profit (16.91% vs 12.80% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.14% vs 6.12% CAGR).
•APD pays the higher dividend yield (2.55% vs 1.04%).

Which is better, APD or ECL?

Metric tally: APD 9 · ECL 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAPD(lower P/E)

GrowthECL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeAPD(higher dividend yield)

QualityECL(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	APD	ECL
P/E ratio	29.79●	35.91
Forward P/E	19.71●	31.93
P/S ratio	5.04	4.58●
P/B ratio	4.01●	7.53
PEG ratio	1.40●	6.92
EV / EBITDA	17.66●	25.55
FCF yield	1.76%	2.48%●

Profitability

Metric	APD	ECL
Gross margin	31.98%	44.29%●
Operating margin	18.41%●	17.49%
Net margin	16.91%●	12.80%
ROE	13.47%	21.05%●
ROIC	-1.82%	11.95%●

Dividends

Metric	APD	ECL
Dividend yield	2.55%●	1.04%
Payout ratio	—	37.65%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APD	ECL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.12%	7.14%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	16.58%●	5.19%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.54%	6.68%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.21%	5.50%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, APD or ECL?: It depends on your goal. value: APD (lower P/E); growth: ECL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: APD (higher dividend yield); quality: ECL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, APD leads 9 to 8.
Is APD or ECL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, APD is cheaper: APD trades at a 29.79 P/E and ECL at 35.91.
Which has grown faster, APD or ECL?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — APD at a 6.12% CAGR versus ECL at 7.14%.
Does APD or ECL pay a bigger dividend?: APD yields 2.55% and ECL yields 1.04% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is APD or ECL more profitable?: APD runs the higher net margin — APD at 16.91% versus ECL at 12.80%.
Which has been the better investment, APD or ECL?: Over the past 10-year, APD delivered the higher annualized total return — APD at 10.26% versus ECL at 9.42%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full APD analysis Full ECL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Air Products and Chemicals P/E ratio Ecolab P/E ratio Air Products and Chemicals dividend yield Ecolab dividend yield Air Products and Chemicals ROE Ecolab ROE Air Products and Chemicals operating margin Ecolab operating margin Air Products and Chemicals revenue growth Ecolab revenue growth Air Products and Chemicals free cash flow Ecolab free cash flow

Air Products and Chemicals & Ecolab appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.