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

VALE has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 37.08 and VALE at 29.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ECL or VALE?

Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus VALE at -5.47%.

Does ECL or VALE pay a bigger dividend?

ECL yields 1.03% and VALE yields 6.89% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ECL or VALE more profitable?

ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus VALE at 4.92%.

How have ECL and VALE total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 10.00% and VALE delivered 19.95% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

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 September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ECL

Ecolab Inc.

$77.74B

$276.22Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 22, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

VALE

Vale S.A.

$60.51B

$14.19Basic MaterialsDelayed quote: Sep 22, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — ECL vs VALE

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

ECL +153.3% (+9.7%/yr)VALE +537.3% (+20.3%/yr)VALE compounded faster over this window

ECL VALE

ECL vs VALE: by the numbers

•ECL is the larger company ($77.74B vs $60.51B market cap).
•VALE trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (29.56 vs 37.08 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•ECL converts more revenue to profit (12.57% vs 4.92% net margin).
•ECL grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.78% vs -5.47% CAGR).
•VALE pays the higher dividend yield (6.89% vs 1.03%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ECL	VALE
P/E ratio	37.08	29.56
Forward P/E	33.87	7.87
P/S ratio	4.62	1.47
P/B ratio	7.73	1.59
EV / EBITDA	23.64	4.95
FCF yield	2.41%	6.38%

Profitability

Metric	ECL	VALE
Gross margin	44.11%	34.32%
Operating margin	17.37%	28.32%
Net margin	12.57%	4.92%
ROE	21.05%	5.34%
ROIC	9.42%	8.48%

Dividends

Metric	ECL	VALE
Dividend yield	1.03%	6.89%
Payout ratio	38.12%	221.60%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ECL	VALE
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.78%	-5.47%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	5.19%	-10.50%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	5.77%	-29.16%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.26%	7.43%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ECL or VALE?: VALE has the lower trailing P/E: ECL trades at 37.08 and VALE at 29.56. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ECL or VALE?: Over the past five years, ECL grew revenue faster — ECL at a 6.78% CAGR versus VALE at -5.47%.
Does ECL or VALE pay a bigger dividend?: ECL yields 1.03% and VALE yields 6.89% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ECL or VALE more profitable?: ECL runs the higher net margin — ECL at 12.57% versus VALE at 4.92%.
How have ECL and VALE total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, ECL delivered 10.00% and VALE delivered 19.95% annualized total return. 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 25+ Year Dividend Growers 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 13, 2026.