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

LIN has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 36.86 and LIN at 29.91. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ECL or LIN?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus LIN at 4.13%.

Does ECL or LIN pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.03% and LIN yields 1.35% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or LIN more profitable?

LIN runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus LIN at 20.56%.

How have ECL and LIN total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 10.00% and LIN delivered 16.69% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

A side-by-side comparison of Ecolab Inc. and Linde plc across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$77.28B

$274.60Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 15, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

LIN

Linde plc

$214.17B

$462.96Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 15, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ECL vs LIN

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

ECL +151.6% (+9.7%/yr)LIN +367.4% (+16.7%/yr)LIN compounded faster over this window

ECL LIN

ECL vs LIN: by the numbers

•LIN is the larger company ($214.17B vs $77.28B market cap).
•LIN trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (29.91 vs 36.86 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•LIN converts more revenue to profit (20.56% vs 12.57% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.78% vs 4.13% CAGR).
•LIN pays the higher dividend yield (1.35% vs 1.03%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	LIN
P/E ratio	36.86	29.91
Forward P/E	33.67	25.89
P/S ratio	4.59	6.04
P/B ratio	7.69	5.48
EV / EBITDA	23.52	16.97
FCF yield	2.43%	2.32%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	LIN
Gross margin	44.11%	45.64%
Operating margin	17.37%	28.66%
Net margin	12.57%	20.56%
ROE	21.05%	18.65%
ROIC	9.42%	9.93%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	LIN
Dividend yield	1.03%	1.35%
Payout ratio	38.12%	40.70%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	LIN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.78%	4.13%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	25.30%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	5.77%	0.17%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.26%	9.94%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ECL or LIN?: LIN has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 36.86 and LIN at 29.91. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ECL or LIN?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus LIN at 4.13%.
Does ECL or LIN pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.03% and LIN yields 1.35% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or LIN more profitable?: LIN runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus LIN at 20.56%.
How have ECL and LIN total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 10.00% and LIN delivered 16.69% annualized total return. 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

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest 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 September 13, 2026.