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Ecolab (ECL) Competitors

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$269.61 -2.07 (-0.76%)
Closing price 09/18/2026 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$269.15 -0.46 (-0.17%)
As of 09/18/2026 07:59 PM Eastern
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ECL vs. ALGN, HWKN, IOSP, ATI, and CRS

Should you buy Ecolab stock or one of its competitors? Ecolab's main competitors and comparable companies include Align Technology (ALGN), Hawkins (HWKN), Innospec (IOSP), ATI (ATI), and Carpenter Technology (CRS). Companies are selected based on similarities in market, industry, and size.

How does Ecolab compare to Align Technology?

Align Technology (NASDAQ:ALGN) and Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, media sentiment, risk, institutional ownership, valuation, dividends, earnings and analyst recommendations.

In the previous week, Align Technology had 1 more articles in the media than Ecolab. MarketBeat recorded 6 mentions for Align Technology and 5 mentions for Ecolab. Align Technology's average media sentiment score of 0.99 beat Ecolab's score of 0.76 indicating that Align Technology is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Align Technology
4 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Ecolab
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Ecolab has higher revenue and earnings than Align Technology. Align Technology is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ecolab, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Align Technology$4.03B2.62$410.35M$5.7525.67
Ecolab$16.08B4.70$2.08B$7.4536.19

Align Technology currently has a consensus price target of $206.36, suggesting a potential upside of 39.80%. Ecolab has a consensus price target of $327.56, suggesting a potential upside of 21.49%. Given Align Technology's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Align Technology is more favorable than Ecolab.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Align Technology
0 Sell rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.67
Ecolab
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.90

Align Technology has a beta of 1.65, suggesting that its stock price is 65% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Ecolab has a beta of 0.88, suggesting that its stock price is 12% less volatile than the broader market.

88.4% of Align Technology shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.9% of Ecolab shares are held by institutional investors. 0.8% of Align Technology shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Ecolab shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Ecolab has a net margin of 12.57% compared to Align Technology's net margin of 9.99%. Ecolab's return on equity of 22.72% beat Align Technology's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Align Technology9.99% 15.86% 10.32%
Ecolab 12.57%22.72%8.71%

Summary

Ecolab beats Align Technology on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Ecolab compare to Hawkins?

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) and Hawkins (NASDAQ:HWKN) are both materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, media sentiment, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.

Ecolab has higher revenue and earnings than Hawkins. Hawkins is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ecolab, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Ecolab$16.08B4.70$2.08B$7.4536.19
Hawkins$1.08B2.35$81.55M$3.8631.66

Ecolab has a net margin of 12.57% compared to Hawkins' net margin of 7.29%. Ecolab's return on equity of 22.72% beat Hawkins' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Ecolab12.57% 22.72% 8.71%
Hawkins 7.29%15.42%8.22%

In the previous week, Ecolab had 4 more articles in the media than Hawkins. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Ecolab and 1 mentions for Hawkins. Hawkins' average media sentiment score of 1.38 beat Ecolab's score of 0.76 indicating that Hawkins is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Ecolab
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Hawkins
1 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
0 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Ecolab has a beta of 0.88, suggesting that its stock price is 12% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Hawkins has a beta of 0.77, suggesting that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the broader market.

Ecolab currently has a consensus target price of $327.56, suggesting a potential upside of 21.49%. Hawkins has a consensus target price of $171.00, suggesting a potential upside of 39.93%. Given Hawkins' higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Hawkins is more favorable than Ecolab.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Ecolab
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.90
Hawkins
1 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00

74.9% of Ecolab shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 69.7% of Hawkins shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of Ecolab shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.7% of Hawkins shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Ecolab pays an annual dividend of $2.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Hawkins pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Ecolab pays out 39.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Hawkins pays out 20.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Ecolab has increased its dividend for 33 consecutive years and Hawkins has increased its dividend for 20 consecutive years. Ecolab is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Ecolab beats Hawkins on 16 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Ecolab compare to Innospec?

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) and Innospec (NASDAQ:IOSP) are both materials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, profitability, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, media sentiment and analyst recommendations.

Ecolab pays an annual dividend of $2.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Innospec pays an annual dividend of $1.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.0%. Ecolab pays out 39.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Innospec pays out 37.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Ecolab has raised its dividend for 33 consecutive years and Innospec has raised its dividend for 11 consecutive years. Innospec is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Ecolab has a beta of 0.88, suggesting that its share price is 12% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Innospec has a beta of 0.93, suggesting that its share price is 7% less volatile than the broader market.

Ecolab has a net margin of 12.57% compared to Innospec's net margin of 6.60%. Ecolab's return on equity of 22.72% beat Innospec's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Ecolab12.57% 22.72% 8.71%
Innospec 6.60%9.22%6.74%

Ecolab has higher revenue and earnings than Innospec. Innospec is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ecolab, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Ecolab$16.08B4.70$2.08B$7.4536.19
Innospec$1.84B1.25$116.60M$4.9019.01

Ecolab presently has a consensus price target of $327.56, indicating a potential upside of 21.49%. Given Ecolab's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Ecolab is more favorable than Innospec.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Ecolab
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.90
Innospec
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
0 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.00

In the previous week, Ecolab had 3 more articles in the media than Innospec. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Ecolab and 2 mentions for Innospec. Ecolab's average media sentiment score of 0.76 beat Innospec's score of 0.34 indicating that Ecolab is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Ecolab
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Innospec
0 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
1 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Neutral

74.9% of Ecolab shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 96.6% of Innospec shares are held by institutional investors. 0.5% of Ecolab shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.5% of Innospec shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Ecolab beats Innospec on 15 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Ecolab compare to ATI?

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) and ATI (NYSE:ATI) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, institutional ownership and valuation.

Ecolab has higher revenue and earnings than ATI. Ecolab is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ATI, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Ecolab$16.08B4.70$2.08B$7.4536.19
ATI$4.59B5.69$404.30M$3.4156.17

Ecolab has a beta of 0.88, suggesting that its share price is 12% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, ATI has a beta of 1.01, suggesting that its share price is 1% more volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, ATI had 9 more articles in the media than Ecolab. MarketBeat recorded 14 mentions for ATI and 5 mentions for Ecolab. Ecolab's average media sentiment score of 0.76 beat ATI's score of 0.63 indicating that Ecolab is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Ecolab
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
ATI
4 Very Positive mention(s)
1 Positive mention(s)
6 Neutral mention(s)
2 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

74.9% of Ecolab shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Ecolab shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.0% of ATI shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Ecolab presently has a consensus target price of $327.56, indicating a potential upside of 21.49%. ATI has a consensus target price of $232.00, indicating a potential upside of 21.12%. Given Ecolab's higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Ecolab is more favorable than ATI.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Ecolab
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.90
ATI
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Hold rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
3.10

Ecolab has a net margin of 12.57% compared to ATI's net margin of 10.09%. ATI's return on equity of 29.27% beat Ecolab's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Ecolab12.57% 22.72% 8.71%
ATI 10.09%29.27%10.59%

Summary

Ecolab and ATI tied by winning 8 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Ecolab compare to Carpenter Technology?

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) and Carpenter Technology (NYSE:CRS) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, media sentiment, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Ecolab has higher revenue and earnings than Carpenter Technology. Ecolab is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Carpenter Technology, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Ecolab$16.08B4.70$2.08B$7.4536.19
Carpenter Technology$3.12B6.47$529.80M$10.5238.77

Carpenter Technology has a net margin of 16.96% compared to Ecolab's net margin of 12.57%. Carpenter Technology's return on equity of 26.46% beat Ecolab's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Ecolab12.57% 22.72% 8.71%
Carpenter Technology 16.96%26.46%15.02%

Ecolab pays an annual dividend of $2.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Carpenter Technology pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.2%. Ecolab pays out 39.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Carpenter Technology pays out 7.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Ecolab has increased its dividend for 33 consecutive years. Ecolab is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

74.9% of Ecolab shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.0% of Carpenter Technology shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.5% of Ecolab shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.9% of Carpenter Technology shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Ecolab currently has a consensus target price of $327.56, indicating a potential upside of 21.49%. Carpenter Technology has a consensus target price of $577.25, indicating a potential upside of 41.53%. Given Carpenter Technology's higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Carpenter Technology is more favorable than Ecolab.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Ecolab
0 Sell rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
17 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.90
Carpenter Technology
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
8 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.80

In the previous week, Carpenter Technology had 9 more articles in the media than Ecolab. MarketBeat recorded 14 mentions for Carpenter Technology and 5 mentions for Ecolab. Carpenter Technology's average media sentiment score of 0.81 beat Ecolab's score of 0.76 indicating that Carpenter Technology is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Ecolab
2 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
3 Neutral mention(s)
0 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Carpenter Technology
6 Very Positive mention(s)
0 Positive mention(s)
2 Neutral mention(s)
1 Negative mention(s)
0 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Ecolab has a beta of 0.88, indicating that its stock price is 12% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Carpenter Technology has a beta of 1.26, indicating that its stock price is 26% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Carpenter Technology beats Ecolab on 13 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding ECL and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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ECL vs. The Competition

MetricEcolabChemicals IndustryMaterials SectorNYSE Exchange
Market Cap$76.16B$11.16B$4.91B$23.17B
Dividend Yield1.07%2.87%4.70%3.59%
P/E Ratio36.1937.2225.7528.21
Price / Sales4.7048.9516,855.0420.33
Price / Cash24.5114.9726.7634.53
Price / Book7.753.1910.074.67
Net Income$2.08B$222.40M$158.15M$1.07B
7 Day Performance-2.43%-1.06%59.92%-1.64%
1 Month Performance-5.49%-1.90%-0.54%-4.25%
1 Year Performance1.50%17.34%28.07%8.32%

Ecolab Competitors List

CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
ECL
Ecolab
4.743 of 5 stars
$269.61
-0.8%
$327.56
+21.5%
+1.8%$76.16B$16.08B36.1948,000
ALGN
Align Technology
3.7928 of 5 stars
$158.63
flat
$206.36
+30.1%
+11.3%$11.36B$4.03B27.5920,290
HWKN
Hawkins
4.9619 of 5 stars
$129.13
flat
$171.00
+32.4%
-31.2%$2.70B$1.08B33.451,200
IOSP
Innospec
2.9504 of 5 stars
$93.95
flat
N/A+13.5%$2.31B$1.78B19.172,450
ATI
ATI
4.1985 of 5 stars
$210.52
-0.1%
$232.00
+10.2%
+137.9%$28.67B$4.59B61.747,600

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This page (NYSE:ECL) was last updated on 9/19/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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