Which has the lower trailing P/E, APD or ECL?

APD has the lower trailing P/E: APD trades at 30.95 and ECL at 36.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

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 2.45% and ECL yields 1.05% 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%.

How have APD and ECL total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, APD delivered 10.49% and ECL delivered 9.76% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

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 July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

APD

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

$65.21B

$292.85Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$79.62B

$282.90Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — APD vs ECL

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

APD +2318.5%ECL +4999.7%ECL compounded faster

APD ECL

APD vs ECL: by the numbers

•ECL is the larger company ($79.62B vs $65.21B market cap).
•APD trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (30.95 vs 36.72 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•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 (2.45% vs 1.05%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	APD	ECL
P/E ratio	30.95	36.72
Forward P/E	22.12	33.17
P/S ratio	5.23	4.68
P/B ratio	4.17	7.70
PEG ratio	1.40	7.08
EV / EBITDA	21.44	23.96
FCF yield	1.70%	2.43%

Profitability

Metric	APD	ECL
Gross margin	31.98%	44.29%
Operating margin	-7.29%	17.49%
Net margin	16.91%	12.80%
ROE	13.47%	21.05%
ROIC	-1.82%	11.95%

Dividends

Metric	APD	ECL
Dividend yield	2.45%	1.05%
Payout ratio	N/A	38.74%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APD	ECL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.12%	7.14%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	N/A	5.19%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	6.68%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	2.80%	5.37%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, APD or ECL?: APD has the lower trailing P/E: APD trades at 30.95 and ECL at 36.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
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 2.45% and ECL yields 1.05% 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%.
How have APD and ECL total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, APD delivered 10.49% and ECL delivered 9.76% annualized total return. 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 25+ Year Dividend Growers

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 July 28, 2026.