Is ECL or LIN cheaper?

On trailing earnings, LIN is cheaper: ECL trades at a 35.91 P/E and LIN at 34.77.

Which has grown faster, ECL or LIN?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus LIN at 4.55%.

Does ECL or LIN pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.04% and LIN yields 1.18% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or LIN more profitable?

LIN runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus LIN at 20.56%.

Which has been the better investment, ECL or LIN?

Over the past 10-year, LIN delivered the higher annualized total return — ECL at 9.42% versus LIN at 18.46%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs Linde plc (LIN)

LIN leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Ecolab Inc. and Linde plc 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).

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$74.70B

$265.41Basic Materials

LIN

Linde plc

$242.20B

$523.57Basic Materials

Total return — ECL vs LIN

growth of $100 · last 30y

ECL +3105.4%LIN +2407.5%ECL compounded faster

ECL LIN

ECL vs LIN: by the numbers

•LIN is the larger company ($242.20B vs $74.70B market cap).
•LIN trades at the lower earnings multiple (34.77 vs 35.91 P/E).
•LIN converts more revenue to profit (20.56% vs 12.80% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.14% vs 4.55% CAGR).
•LIN pays the higher dividend yield (1.18% vs 1.04%).

Which is better, ECL or LIN?

Metric tally: ECL 6 · LIN 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueLIN(lower P/E)

GrowthECL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeLIN(higher dividend yield)

QualityECL(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	ECL	LIN
P/E ratio	35.91	34.77●
Forward P/E	31.93	26.71●
P/S ratio	4.58●	7.05
P/B ratio	7.53	6.33●
PEG ratio	6.92	4.12●
EV / EBITDA	25.55	21.52●
FCF yield	2.48%●	2.09%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	LIN
Gross margin	44.29%	45.99%●
Operating margin	17.49%	28.79%●
Net margin	12.80%	20.56%●
ROE	21.05%●	18.47%
ROIC	11.95%●	8.97%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	LIN
Dividend yield	1.04%	1.18%●
Payout ratio	37.65%	42.26%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	LIN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.14%●	4.55%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	25.30%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.68%●	1.07%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.50%	13.97%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, ECL or LIN?: It depends on your goal. value: LIN (lower P/E); growth: ECL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: LIN (higher dividend yield); quality: ECL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, LIN leads 11 to 6.
Is ECL or LIN cheaper?: On trailing earnings, LIN is cheaper: ECL trades at a 35.91 P/E and LIN at 34.77.
Which has grown faster, ECL or LIN?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus LIN at 4.55%.
Does ECL or LIN pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.04% and LIN yields 1.18% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or LIN more profitable?: LIN runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus LIN at 20.56%.
Which has been the better investment, ECL or LIN?: Over the past 10-year, LIN delivered the higher annualized total return — ECL at 9.42% versus LIN at 18.46%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ECL analysis Full LIN analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Ecolab & Linde appear in these rankings

Dividend Aristocrats Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks Largest Companies by Market Cap

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.