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

RIO has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 38.21 and RIO at 7.46. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ECL or RIO?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus RIO at 2.95%.

Does ECL or RIO pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.00% and RIO yields 1.45% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or RIO more profitable?

RIO runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus RIO at 19.31%.

How have ECL and RIO total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.93% and RIO delivered 20.51% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs Rio Tinto Group (RIO)

A side-by-side comparison of Ecolab Inc. and Rio Tinto Group across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 12, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$78.90B

$280.34Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

RIO

Rio Tinto Group

$166.08B

$102.20Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

Total return — ECL vs RIO

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

ECL +158.9% (+10.0%/yr)RIO +539.2% (+20.4%/yr)RIO compounded faster over this window

ECL RIO

ECL vs RIO: by the numbers

•RIO is the larger company ($166.08B vs $78.90B market cap).
•RIO trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (7.46 vs 38.21 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•RIO converts more revenue to profit (19.31% vs 12.57% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.78% vs 2.95% CAGR).
•RIO pays the higher dividend yield (1.45% vs 1.00%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	RIO
P/E ratio	38.21	7.46
Forward P/E	34.89	12.22
P/S ratio	4.78	1.45
P/B ratio	8.01	2.55
EV / EBITDA	22.76	4.20
FCF yield	2.45%	6.56%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	RIO
Gross margin	44.11%	26.56%
Operating margin	17.37%	26.49%
Net margin	12.57%	19.31%
ROE	21.05%	34.12%
ROIC	11.95%	9.18%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	RIO
Dividend yield	1.00%	1.45%
Payout ratio	38.74%	24.07%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	RIO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.78%	2.95%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	0.36%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.85%	-16.36%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	6.40%	10.99%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ECL or RIO?: RIO has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 38.21 and RIO at 7.46. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ECL or RIO?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus RIO at 2.95%.
Does ECL or RIO pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.00% and RIO yields 1.45% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or RIO more profitable?: RIO runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus RIO at 19.31%.
How have ECL and RIO total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.93% and RIO delivered 20.51% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ECL analysis Full RIO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Ecolab & Rio Tinto appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 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 August 12, 2026.