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

SHW has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 36.72 and SHW at 31.41. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ECL or SHW?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus SHW at 4.87%.

Does ECL or SHW pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.05% and SHW yields 0.97% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or SHW more profitable?

ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus SHW at 10.86%.

How have ECL and SHW total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.76% and SHW delivered 13.93% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW)

A side-by-side comparison of Ecolab Inc. and The Sherwin-Williams Company 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.

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$79.62B

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

SHW

The Sherwin-Williams Company

$87.38B

$354.27Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ECL vs SHW

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30y

ECL +4999.7%SHW +6954.1%SHW compounded faster

ECL SHW

ECL vs SHW: by the numbers

•SHW is the larger company ($87.38B vs $79.62B market cap).
•SHW trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (31.41 vs 36.72 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•ECL converts more revenue to profit (12.80% vs 10.86% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.14% vs 4.87% CAGR).
•ECL pays the higher dividend yield (1.05% vs 0.97%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	SHW
P/E ratio	36.72	31.41
Forward P/E	33.17	27.83
P/S ratio	4.68	3.39
P/B ratio	7.70	18.32
PEG ratio	7.08	4.66
EV / EBITDA	23.96	21.17
FCF yield	2.43%	3.58%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	SHW
Gross margin	44.29%	49.12%
Operating margin	17.49%	16.13%
Net margin	12.80%	10.86%
ROE	21.05%	58.66%
ROIC	11.95%	15.21%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	SHW
Dividend yield	1.05%	0.97%
Payout ratio	38.74%	30.64%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	SHW
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.14%	4.87%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	6.74%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.68%	-2.44%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.37%	3.54%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ECL or SHW?: SHW has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 36.72 and SHW at 31.41. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ECL or SHW?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus SHW at 4.87%.
Does ECL or SHW pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.05% and SHW yields 0.97% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or SHW more profitable?: ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus SHW at 10.86%.
How have ECL and SHW total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.76% and SHW delivered 13.93% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ECL analysis Full SHW analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Ecolab P/E ratio Sherwin-Williams P/E ratio Ecolab dividend yield Sherwin-Williams dividend yield Ecolab ROE Sherwin-Williams ROE Ecolab operating margin Sherwin-Williams operating margin Ecolab revenue growth Sherwin-Williams revenue growth Ecolab free cash flow Sherwin-Williams free cash flow

Ecolab & Sherwin-Williams appear in these rankings

25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE 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 July 28, 2026.