Ecolab Inc. vs Home Depot Inc — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $285.5 (market cap $79.73B), while Home Depot Inc trades at $354.83 (market cap $349.77B). The key difference: Home Depot Inc is far larger — about 4.4× Ecolab Inc.'s market cap, and Home Depot Inc pays the higher dividend (2.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | HD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $79.73B | $349.77B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $423.42 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $297.51 |
Enterprise Value | $88.51B | $411.32B |
Dividend Yield | 1.03% | 2.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ECL trades at $285.17, up 0.6% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong analyst support. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.09, beating estimates, and raised full-year guidance. Revenue growth remains steady, with a net income margin of 12.57% and robust cash flow from operations of $2.95B in 2025. Recent news highlights dividend declarations and institutional buying interest.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $327.90, implying 15% upside. Risks include elevated valuation multiples and potential margin pressure from input costs. The stock's momentum is supported by earnings beats and strategic acquisitions, but investors should monitor debt levels and competitive dynamics in the water and hygiene sector.
Home Depot (HD) trades at $350.78, down 1.36% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong institutional support. The company reported $159.51B in 2025 revenue with solid profitability metrics including 8.41% net income margin and 128.38% ROE. Recent earnings show mixed results with Q2 2026 expectations set at $4.73 EPS. The stock faces headwinds from weakening big-ticket demand and rising mortgage rates, but maintains strong analyst support with 59% buy ratings.
Home Depot presents a compelling long-term investment case with stable fundamentals and professional segment growth potential, though near-term challenges include housing market sensitivity and margin pressure. The consensus price target of $368.75 suggests 5.1% upside potential from current levels, supported by strong cash flow generation and dividend payments. Key risks include consumer spending volatility and competitive pressures in the home improvement sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Ecolab produces and markets cleaning and sanitation products for the hospitality, healthcare, and industrial markets. The firm is the global market share leader in this category with a wide array of products and services, including dish and laundry washing systems, pest control, and infection control products. The company has a strong hold on the U.S. market and is looking to increase its profitability abroad. Additionally, Ecolab serves customers in water, manufacturing, and life sciences end markets, selling customized solutions.
Read more on ECL →Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, operating more than 2,300 warehouse-format stores offering more than 30,000 products in store and 1 million products online in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its stores offer numerous building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and decor products and provide various services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rentals. The acquisition of distributor Interline Brands in 2015 allowed Home Depot to enter the maintenance, repair, and operations business, which has been expanded through the tie-up with HD Supply (2020). The addition of the Company Store brought textile exposure to Home Depot's lineup.
Read more on HD →