Is ECL or VALE cheaper?

On trailing earnings, VALE is cheaper: ECL trades at a 36.35 P/E and VALE at 23.20.

Which has grown faster, ECL or VALE?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus VALE at -2.82%.

Does ECL or VALE pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.06% and VALE yields 6.64% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or VALE more profitable?

ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus VALE at 7.06%.

Which has been the better investment, ECL or VALE?

Over the past 10-year, VALE delivered the higher annualized total return — ECL at 9.49% versus VALE at 20.10%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Ecolab Inc (ECL) vs Vale S.A. (VALE)

ECL and VALE are evenly matched — 8 metrics each of 16.

A side-by-side comparison of Ecolab Inc and Vale S.A. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 24, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ECL

Ecolab Inc

$75.61B

$268.66Basic Materials

VALE

Vale S.A.

$65.29B

$15.31Basic Materials

Total return — ECL vs VALE

growth of $100 · last 24y

ECL +1051.1%VALE +580.4%ECL compounded faster

ECL VALE

ECL vs VALE: by the numbers

•ECL is the larger company ($75.61B vs $65.29B market cap).
•VALE trades at the lower earnings multiple (23.20 vs 36.35 P/E).
•ECL converts more revenue to profit (12.80% vs 7.06% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.14% vs -2.82% CAGR).
•VALE pays the higher dividend yield (6.64% vs 1.06%).

Which is better, ECL or VALE?

Metric tally: ECL 8 · VALE 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueVALE(lower P/E)

GrowthECL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeVALE(higher dividend yield)

QualityECL(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	VALE
P/E ratio	36.35	23.20●
Forward P/E	32.32	7.89●
P/S ratio	4.63	1.66●
P/B ratio	7.62	1.79●
PEG ratio	7.00	—
EV / EBITDA	23.96	8.00●
FCF yield	2.45%	5.12%●

Profitability

Metric	ECL	VALE
Gross margin	44.29%●	34.52%
Operating margin	17.49%	27.84%●
Net margin	12.80%●	7.06%
ROE	21.05%●	7.62%
ROIC	11.95%●	6.85%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	VALE
Dividend yield	1.06%	6.64%●
Payout ratio	38.74%	175.15%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	VALE
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.14%●	-2.82%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%●	-10.50%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.68%●	-26.26%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	6.42%●	2.25%

Frequently asked

Which is better, ECL or VALE?: It depends on your goal. value: VALE (lower P/E); growth: ECL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: VALE (higher dividend yield); quality: ECL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, they are evenly matched.
Is ECL or VALE cheaper?: On trailing earnings, VALE is cheaper: ECL trades at a 36.35 P/E and VALE at 23.20.
Which has grown faster, ECL or VALE?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 7.14% CAGR versus VALE at -2.82%.
Does ECL or VALE pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.06% and VALE yields 6.64% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or VALE more profitable?: ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.80% versus VALE at 7.06%.
Which has been the better investment, ECL or VALE?: Over the past 10-year, VALE delivered the higher annualized total return — ECL at 9.49% versus VALE at 20.10%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ECL analysis Full VALE analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Ecolab & Vale appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 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 June 24, 2026.