Ecolab Inc. vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $286.29 (market cap $79.79B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $58.03 (market cap $8.26B). The key difference: Ecolab Inc. is far larger — about 9.7× CarMax, Inc's market cap, and Ecolab Inc. pays a 1.03% dividend while CarMax, Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | KMX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $79.79B | $8.26B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $62.17 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $30.88 |
Enterprise Value | $88.57B | $26.77B |
Dividend Yield | 1.03% | — |
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 →CarMax sells, finances, and services used and new cars through a chain of over 230 used retail stores. It was formed in 1993 as a unit of Circuit City and spun off into an independent company in late 2002. Used-vehicle sales typically account for about 83% of revenue and wholesale about 13%, with the remaining portion composed of extended service plans and repair. In fiscal 2022, the company retailed and wholesaled 924,338 and 706,212 used vehicles, respectively. CarMax is the largest used-vehicle retailer in the U.S. but still estimates that it has only about 4% U.S. market share of vehicles 0-10 years old in 2021. It seeks over 5% share by the end of calendar 2025 and revenue between $33 billion to $45 billion by fiscal 2026. CarMax is based in Richmond, Virginia.
Read more on KMX →