Compare Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs CarMax, Inc (KMX) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Ecolab Inc. vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $280.53 (market cap $79.79B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $58.48 (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% | — |
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Aura AI Summary
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ECL trades at $281.17, down 1.14% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong institutional interest. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.09, beating estimates, and raised full-year guidance to $8.05-$8.25. Revenue growth remains steady at 5% organic, supported by pricing gains and volume increases. Valuation ratios are elevated with a P/E of 38.21, reflecting premium pricing for consistent performance.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $327.90, implying 16.6% upside. Risks include high valuation sensitivity and rising input costs. The stock offers growth potential from digital expansion and recent CoolIT acquisition, but investors should monitor margin pressures and debt levels.
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.20, showing modest near-term weakness with a 0.99% daily decline. The stock maintains a bullish technical stance with strong moving average support and trades near key support at $58. Fundamentally, the company reported Q1 2026 earnings beat with $0.34 EPS versus $0.23 expected, though revenue trends show slight contraction from $26.4B in 2025 to projected $26.3B in 2026. Recent positive developments include AI partnership enhancements and strong institutional recognition.
CarMax presents a mixed investment case with technical strength offset by fundamental challenges. The bullish moving average configuration and recent earnings beats provide near-term support, but declining revenue trends and thin 0.84% net margin limit upside potential. Key risks include ongoing fiduciary investigations and competitive pressure in the used car market. Analyst consensus remains cautious with 68.6% hold ratings and $53.09 price target below current levels.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
About Ecolab Inc.
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 →About CarMax, Inc
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.
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