Is CRH or ECL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, CRH is cheaper: CRH trades at a 19.37 P/E and ECL at 38.38.

Which has grown faster, CRH or ECL?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — CRH at a 2.42% CAGR versus ECL at 7.14%.

Does CRH or ECL pay a bigger dividend?

CRH yields 1.39% and ECL yields 1.03% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CRH or ECL more profitable?

ECL runs the higher net margin — CRH at 9.04% versus ECL at 12.80%.

Which has been the better investment, CRH or ECL?

Over the past 10-year, CRH delivered the higher annualized total return — CRH at 17.72% versus ECL at 10.51%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CRH plc (CRH) vs Ecolab Inc. (ECL)

CRH leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of CRH plc and Ecolab Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 27, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

CRH

CRH plc

$75.05B

$112.32Basic Materials

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$79.83B

$283.65Basic Materials

Total return — CRH vs ECL

growth of $100 · last 30y

CRH +1017.6%ECL +3363.4%ECL compounded faster

CRH ECL

CRH vs ECL: by the numbers

•ECL is the larger company ($79.83B vs $75.05B market cap).
•CRH trades at the lower earnings multiple (19.37 vs 38.38 P/E).
•ECL converts more revenue to profit (12.80% vs 9.04% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.14% vs 2.42% CAGR).
•CRH pays the higher dividend yield (1.39% vs 1.03%).

Which is better, CRH or ECL?

Metric tally: CRH 11 · ECL 6

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueCRH(lower P/E)

GrowthECL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeCRH(higher dividend yield)

QualityECL(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CRH	ECL
P/E ratio	19.37●	38.38
Forward P/E	16.78●	34.12
P/S ratio	1.34●	4.89
P/B ratio	3.25●	8.04
PEG ratio	2.37●	7.40
EV / EBITDA	8.48●	24.94
FCF yield	3.83%●	2.32%

Profitability

Metric	CRH	ECL
Gross margin	35.58%	44.29%●
Operating margin	13.18%	17.49%●
Net margin	9.04%	12.80%●
ROE	21.90%●	21.05%
ROIC	8.16%	11.95%●

Dividends

Metric	CRH	ECL
Dividend yield	1.39%●	1.03%
Payout ratio	28.16%	39.84%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CRH	ECL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	2.42%	7.14%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	31.11%●	5.19%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-9.91%	6.68%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	19.74%●	7.64%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CRH or ECL?: It depends on your goal. value: CRH (lower P/E); growth: ECL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: CRH (higher dividend yield); quality: ECL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, CRH leads 11 to 6.
Is CRH or ECL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, CRH is cheaper: CRH trades at a 19.37 P/E and ECL at 38.38.
Which has grown faster, CRH or ECL?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — CRH at a 2.42% CAGR versus ECL at 7.14%.
Does CRH or ECL pay a bigger dividend?: CRH yields 1.39% and ECL yields 1.03% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CRH or ECL more profitable?: ECL runs the higher net margin — CRH at 9.04% versus ECL at 12.80%.
Which has been the better investment, CRH or ECL?: Over the past 10-year, CRH delivered the higher annualized total return — CRH at 17.72% versus ECL at 10.51%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CRH analysis Full ECL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CRH P/E ratio Ecolab P/E ratio CRH dividend yield Ecolab dividend yield CRH ROE Ecolab ROE CRH operating margin Ecolab operating margin CRH revenue growth Ecolab revenue growth CRH free cash flow Ecolab free cash flow

CRH & Ecolab appear in these rankings

Dividend Aristocrats Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks

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 27, 2026.