Ecolab Inc (ECL) fair value: what the stock is really worth
We calculate from audited financials what Ecolab Inc is really worth. The fair value tells you whether the price is too high or too low, the quality score (0 to 100) how solid the business behind it is. 26 models, 37 quality factors, updated daily.
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Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 18, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $126.04 – $306.69 · fair‑value band $56.66 – $153.86 · the $269.98 price screens above the $96.18 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 18, 2026.
Ecolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences.
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Ecolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences. The Global Water segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, primary metals and mining, power generation, global refining, petrochemical, pulp and paper industries. The Global Institutional & Specialty segment provides cleaning and sanitizing products to the foodservice, healthcare, hospitality, lodging, government, education and retail industries. The Global Pest Elimination segment provides pest elimination services to detect, prevent, and eliminate pests comprising rodents and insects in full-service and quick-service restaurants, food and beverage processors, hotels, grocery operations, and other commercial segments, including education, life sciences, and healthcare. The Global Life Sciences segment provides cleaning and contamination control solutions to pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers. It offers its products under the Ecolab, Kay, Purolite, and Bioquell brand names. The company sells its products through field sales and corporate account personnel, distributors, and dealers. Ecolab Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Stock analysis
Ecolab Inc (ECL) currently trades at $269.98, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $96.18, implying the stock looks roughly 180.7% overvalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the Growth Earnings group reads highest at a median of $118.35 per share, and 0 of the 26 models we run sit above the $269.98 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at $23.26, and 26 of the 26 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: $56.66 (bear) to $153.86 (bull), the price of $269.98 sits above it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 61/100 (solid quality), in the Basic Materials sector.
Healthy Growth: Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Ecolab Inc reported revenue of $16.1B in FY2025 versus $12.7B in FY2021, a compound +6.0%/yr. Reported net income was $2.1B in FY2025, compounding +16.4%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap $77.0B · P/E ratio 36.6 · P/S ratio 4.72 · EPS (TTM) $7.38 · Dividend yield 1.0% · Net margin 12.9% · Return on equity 22.4% · Return on assets (EBIT) 9.8%.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 68 out of 100 (medium confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 12% below its 52-week high and 11% above its 52-week low, currently below its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Basic Materials peers we cover trades at −53% fair-value upside, at −64%, ECL screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear $56.66Fair Value $96.18Bull $153.86
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 9 months old). Earnings retained since then ($3.36 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.82/100
Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Revenue growth 1 year
+2.2%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+4.3%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+6.4%
Revenue growth 40 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+7.7%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate. Basis: adjusted.
+9.8%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+8.8%
Dividend (yield on the price)1.0%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.10% vs 6%, picking up
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.15% → 18%
Growth Forecast
A lot of optimism in the price
The price assumes more growth than the company has delivered so far and more than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
+22.4%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
+7.6%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (98 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Positive
Recent news coverage is more positive than average.
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Specialty Chemicals · 703 stocks
Beats the industry median on 6/15 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score62 · Top 25%
Fair Value upside−66% · Bottom 25%
Profitability
Return on equity (TTM)22% · Top 25%
Return on assets8% · Top 25%
Net margin (TTM)13% · Top 25%
Operating margin (TTM)17% · Top 25%
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth10% · Above median
Dividend yield (TTM)1.0% · Below median
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.75× · Highest 25%
Valuation Multiplesvs Specialty Chemicals median · lower = cheaper
P/E (TTM)36.6× · Pricier than median
P/B7.90× · Priciest 25%
P/S (TTM)4.69× · Priciest 25%
P/FCF40.5× · Priciest 25%
EV/EBITDA20.8× · Pricier than median
PEG2.55× · Priciest 25%
Strength profile in five axes (Snowflake)
This stockSector peers
VALUE (fair-value potential)0· sector 0
FUTURE (revenue growth)50· sector 21
PAST (return on equity)90· sector 23
HEALTH (low debt)62· sector 95
DIVIDEND (yield)20· sector 28
VALUE 0: the price sits above our fair-value range.
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "Ecolab Inc Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/ECL
Frequently asked questions
Is Ecolab Inc (ECL) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 18, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $96.18 versus a price of $269.98, about −64% upside (overvalued).
What is the fair value of ECL?
Our model-based fair value for Ecolab Inc is $96.18 (as of Sep 18, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $269.98.
What is the quality score of ECL?
Ecolab Inc has a Quality Score of 61/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $96.18 (as of Sep 18, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario $56.66, optimistic scenario $153.86. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Ecolab Inc stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $96.18, about −64% upside versus a price of $269.98 (overvalued). Cautious scenario $56.66, optimistic scenario $153.86. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Ecolab Inc reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $16.5B (latest available figure, as of Sep 18, 2026).
Does Ecolab Inc pay a dividend?
Ecolab Inc currently shows a dividend yield of about 1.02% relative to its recent price (as of Sep 18, 2026).
What growth is priced into Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Ecolab Inc would have to grow free cash flow by +22.4 % per year for five years (discount rate 9.0 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +6.4 % per year. As of Sep 18, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of ECL use?
Our models discount Ecolab Inc at 9.0 %: a base by market capitalisation (large), damped by beta 0.90, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Ecolab Inc that is +22.4 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (9.0 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Ecolab Inc (ECL) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Ecolab Inc grew +6.4 % a year. The price currently implies +22.4 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Ecolab Inc (ECL) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +3.3 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Ecolab Inc (+22.4 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 2.48 %: that much free cash flow Ecolab Inc produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (9.0 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Ecolab Inc it is $96.18 per share (as of Sep 18, 2026), against a price of $269.98. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Ecolab Inc stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 18, 2026, ECL trades above its calculated fair value: price $269.98, fair value $96.18, a gap of about −64% (overvalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of ECL?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($269.98); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($96.18). For Ecolab Inc the two are $173.80 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Ecolab Inc worth?
The market values Ecolab Inc at about $77.0B (market capitalisation, as of Sep 18, 2026). Per share that is $269.98; our models calculate a fair value of $96.18 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about ECL?
Our models span a range for Ecolab Inc: cautious scenario $56.66, base $96.18, optimistic $153.86 per share (as of Sep 18, 2026, price $269.98). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of ECL?
Ecolab Inc trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.6 (as of Sep 18, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of $96.18 is built from several models across several years. Other multiples: PEG 2.6, P/B 7.9, P/S 4.7, EV/EBITDA 20.8.
What is the PEG ratio of ECL?
The PEG ratio of Ecolab Inc is 2.55 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Sep 18, 2026). That is above 1, so the growth is already paid for in the price.
How solid is the balance sheet of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Balance-sheet figures for Ecolab Inc (as of Sep 18, 2026): return on equity 22.4%, debt of 0.75 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 61/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is ECL from its 52-week high?
Ecolab Inc trades at $269.98, about 12% below its 52-week high of $308.44 and 11% above the low of $243.15 (as of Sep 18, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $96.18 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Ecolab Inc?
From the same area (Basic Materials) we also value Linde plc, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc, Givaudan SA, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Ecolab Inc stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 18, 2026: price $269.98, calculated fair value $96.18 (−64%), Quality Score 61/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of ECL calculated?
We run Ecolab Inc through 26 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of $96.18, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 16.1 % above its aggregate fair value. Ecolab Inc itself currently trades above fair value. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The closing price on Sep 21, 2026 was $269.98. Our model-based fair value is $96.18, about −64% upside (overvalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Ecolab Inc right now?
The price sits above even our optimistic bull case ($153.86). The favourable scenario is already priced in. The model range is unusually wide ($56.66 to $153.86). The outcome hinges heavily on assumptions, so read the point estimate with caution. Solid but not exceptional quality (61/100) and above fair value, neither a clear bargain nor a standout compounder.
Where does the earnings growth of Ecolab Inc (ECL) come from?
Earnings per share at Ecolab Inc grew +6.1 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share +2.2 %, EBIT margin +1.2 %, tax rate +1.0 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +1.6 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of Ecolab Inc
How large is the market capitalisation of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The market capitalisation of Ecolab Inc is $77.0B. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Ecolab Inc is 4.72 (P/E × margin). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Earnings per share at Ecolab Inc are $7.38 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 36.6). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The dividend yield of Ecolab Inc is 1.0% (payout 37.4%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The net margin of Ecolab Inc is 12.9% (fiscal year 2025). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Ecolab Inc is 22.4% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Ecolab Inc is 9.8% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
The operating margin of Ecolab Inc is 16.9% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Revenue at Ecolab Inc is growing +10.0% versus a year earlier (3y avg +4.3%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Ecolab Inc (ECL)?
Earnings per share at Ecolab Inc are growing +7.8% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Ecolab Inc (ECL) carry?
The net debt of Ecolab Inc is $8.8B (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 4.6 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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Broad data
Sep 18, 2026