ECOLAB INC. vs Estee Lauder Companies Inc, two Household Products stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ECL and EL diverge most: on net margin, ECL reads 12.8% and EL reads -1.7%; on return on equity, ECL reads 21.0% and EL reads -6.2%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What ECL's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). What EL's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ECL | EL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $277.66 | $83.80 |
| Market cap | $78.8B | $30.6B |
| Sector | Household Products | Household Products |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +22.7% | — |
| P/E | 37.6 | — |
| P/B | 7.85 | 7.67 |
| P/S | 4.79 | 2.06 |
| EV/EBITDA | 26.7 | 36.5 |
| Revenue growth | +5.0% | +0.5% |
| Gross margin | — | 76.4% |
| Operating margin | 15.3% | 6.7% |
| Net margin | 12.8% | -1.7% |
| Return on equity | 21.0% | -6.2% |
| Return on assets | 8.4% | -1.3% |
| Return on invested capital | 18.9% | 2.0% |
| FCF yield | 2.4% | 4.2% |
| Dividend yield | 1.0% | 2.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.16 | 1.71 |
| Current ratio | 0.99 | 1.27 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 4.62 | 7.72 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.