Ecolab vs Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams is the larger business, with $23.57bn of revenue in fiscal 2025 against $16.08bn for Ecolab (1.5 times as much). Ecolab grew faster (2.2% against 2.1%). Ecolab kept more of each dollar of sales as profit: a net margin of 12.9% against 10.9%. Ecolab carries less debt relative to equity (84.3% against 236.4%).
| Latest fiscal year | EcolabECL, 2025 | Sherwin-WilliamsSHW, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $16.08bn | $23.57bn |
| Revenue growth | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| Net income | $2.08bn | $2.57bn |
| Operating margin | 17.0% | — |
| Net margin | 12.9% | 10.9% |
| Return on equity | 22.4% | 59.4% |
| Free cash flow | $1.90bn | $2.65bn |
| Cash | $646m | $207m |
| Total debt | $8.24bn | $10.87bn |
| Debt to equity | 84.3% | 236.4% |
| Dividend per share | $2.68 | $3.16 |
| Dividend yield | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Share buybacks | $784m | $1.66bn |
| Employees | 48,000 | 64,249 |
| Market value | $85.47bn | $82.44bn |
| Price vs our value range | Above our value range | Above our value range |
| Moat score | 73 (Strong) | 83 (Strong) |
| Insider trades, 12 months | 7 buys, 15 sales | 0 buys, 4 sales |