ECL vs. SHW

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Ecolab Inc. (ECL) and The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW).

Performance

ECL vs. SHW - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Ecolab Inc. (ECL) and The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ECL vs. SHW - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ECL Ecolab Inc.	1.60%	13.19%	19.29%	37.94%	-37.10%	9.38%	13.17%	32.26%	11.07%	15.80%
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company	-0.86%	-3.83%	9.90%	32.73%	-31.96%	44.90%	27.05%	49.70%	-3.23%	54.11%

Fundamentals

Market Cap ECL : $75.60B SHW : $79.75B
EPS ECL : $7.28 SHW : $10.28
PE Ratio ECL : 36.53 SHW : 31.19
PEG Ratio ECL : 1.93 SHW : 3.22
PS Ratio ECL : 4.71 SHW : 3.40
PB Ratio ECL : 7.74 SHW : 17.34
Total Revenue (TTM) ECL : $16.08B SHW : $23.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) ECL : $5.31B SHW : $11.53B
EBITDA (TTM) ECL : $3.30B SHW : $4.30B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ECL achieves a 1.60% return, which is significantly higher than SHW's -0.86% return. Over the past 10 years, ECL has underperformed SHW with an annualized return of 10.18%, while SHW has yielded a comparatively higher 13.87% annualized return.

ECL

• 1D: 1.34%
• 1M: -13.50%
• YTD: 1.60%
• 6M: -2.33%
• 1Y: 6.02%
• 3Y*: 18.37%
• 5Y*: 5.33%
• 10Y*: 10.18%

SHW

• 1D: 1.47%
• 1M: -11.40%
• YTD: -0.86%
• 6M: -7.00%
• 1Y: -7.38%
• 3Y*: 13.56%
• 5Y*: 6.05%
• 10Y*: 13.87%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

ECL vs. SHW — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ECL

ECL Risk / Return Rank: 50
ECL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
ECL Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
ECL Omega Ratio Rank: 43
ECL Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
ECL Martin Ratio Rank: 56

SHW

SHW Risk / Return Rank: 29
SHW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
SHW Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
SHW Omega Ratio Rank: 25
SHW Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
SHW Martin Ratio Rank: 33

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ECL vs. SHW - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Ecolab Inc. (ECL) and The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ECL	SHW	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.29	-0.30	+0.58
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.53	-0.27	+0.80
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	0.97	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.47	-0.26	+0.72
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.35	-0.60	+1.96
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ECL vs. SHW - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ECL Sharpe Ratio is 0.29, which is higher than the SHW Sharpe Ratio of -0.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ECL and SHW, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ECL	SHW	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.29	-0.30	+0.58
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.23	0.24	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41	0.53	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.55	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between ECL and SHW is 0.42, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

ECL vs. SHW - Dividend Comparison

ECL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.04%, more than SHW's 0.99% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ECL Ecolab Inc.	1.04%	1.02%	1.01%	1.09%	1.42%	0.83%	0.87%	0.96%	1.15%	1.13%	1.21%	1.17%
SHW The Sherwin-Williams Company	0.99%	0.98%	0.84%	0.78%	1.01%	0.62%	0.73%	0.77%	0.87%	0.83%	1.25%	1.03%

Drawdowns

ECL vs. SHW - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ECL drawdown since its inception was -47.19%, smaller than the maximum SHW drawdown of -52.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ECL and SHW.

Drawdown Indicators

	ECL	SHW	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-47.19%	-52.02%	+4.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.60%	-18.74%	+2.14%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.70%	-42.46%	-1.24%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.70%	-42.46%	-1.24%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.50%	-18.91%	+5.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.94%	-11.59%	+3.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.71%	7.98%	-2.27%

Volatility

ECL vs. SHW - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Ecolab Inc. (ECL) is 6.93%, while The Sherwin-Williams Company (SHW) has a volatility of 8.03%. This indicates that ECL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SHW based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ECL	SHW	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.93%	8.03%	-1.10%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.11%	16.51%	-1.40%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.00%	25.21%	-4.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.69%	25.75%	-2.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.84%	26.27%	-1.43%

Financials

ECL vs. SHW - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Ecolab Inc. and The Sherwin-Williams Company over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ECL - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ecolab Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 4.20B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

SHW - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported a gross profit of 2.73B and revenue of 5.61B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 48.6%.

ECL - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ecolab Inc. reported an operating income of 680.50M and revenue of 4.20B, resulting in an operating margin of 16.2%.

SHW - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported an operating income of 775.80M and revenue of 5.61B, resulting in an operating margin of 13.8%.

ECL - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Ecolab Inc. reported a net income of 563.90M and revenue of 4.20B, resulting in a net margin of 13.4%.

SHW - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, The Sherwin-Williams Company reported a net income of 476.80M and revenue of 5.61B, resulting in a net margin of 8.5%.