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

SHW has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 37.07 and SHW at 29.80. 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 6.78% CAGR versus SHW at 4.44%.

Does ECL or SHW pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.05% and SHW yields 0.99% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or SHW more profitable?

ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus SHW at 11.01%.

How have ECL and SHW total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.82% and SHW delivered 14.41% 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 September 11, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$77.73B

$276.18Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

SHW

The Sherwin-Williams Company

$78.49B

$323.31Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ECL vs SHW

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

ECL +153.3% (+9.7%/yr)SHW +285.0% (+14.4%/yr)SHW compounded faster over this window

ECL SHW

ECL vs SHW: by the numbers

•SHW is the larger company ($78.49B vs $77.73B market cap).
•SHW trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (29.80 vs 37.07 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•ECL converts more revenue to profit (12.57% vs 11.01% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.78% vs 4.44% CAGR).
•ECL pays the higher dividend yield (1.05% vs 0.99%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	SHW
P/E ratio	37.07	29.80
Forward P/E	33.87	26.70
P/S ratio	4.61	3.22
P/B ratio	7.73	20.36
EV / EBITDA	23.64	19.95
FCF yield	2.41%	4.09%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	SHW
Gross margin	44.11%	49.07%
Operating margin	17.37%	16.36%
Net margin	12.57%	11.01%
ROE	21.05%	69.74%
ROIC	9.42%	14.59%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	SHW
Dividend yield	1.05%	0.99%
Payout ratio	38.12%	29.40%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	SHW
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.78%	4.44%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	6.74%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	5.77%	-0.06%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	4.92%	2.45%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ECL or SHW?: SHW has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 37.07 and SHW at 29.80. 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 6.78% CAGR versus SHW at 4.44%.
Does ECL or SHW pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.05% and SHW yields 0.99% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or SHW more profitable?: ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus SHW at 11.01%.
How have ECL and SHW total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 9.82% and SHW delivered 14.41% 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 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 September 11, 2026.