Compare Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs Palo Alto Networks Inc (PANW) Price & Performance
Price performance (Past 24H)
Key statistics
Key statistics
Ecolab Inc. vs Palo Alto Networks Inc — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $274.02 (market cap $76.06B), while Palo Alto Networks Inc trades at $356.6 (market cap $288.53B). The key difference: Palo Alto Networks Inc is far larger — about 3.8× Ecolab Inc.'s market cap, and Ecolab Inc. pays a 1.08% dividend while Palo Alto Networks Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | PANW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.06B | $288.53B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Technology |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $357.53 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $141.67 |
Enterprise Value | $84.81B | $287.49B |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | — |
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 $269.75, down 0.77% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $16.08B and net income of $2.08B, though recent quarterly EPS results have been mixed. The company recently completed the $4.75B CoolIT acquisition to strengthen its AI cooling portfolio, positioning high-tech as a growth engine. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $327.43 price target, representing 21% upside potential from current levels.
The outlook is positive given strong analyst support and strategic acquisitions, but risks include execution of the CoolIT integration, rising cost pressures, and mixed quarterly earnings performance. The stock's premium valuation (P/E 36.57) requires sustained earnings growth to justify current levels, making upcoming Q2 2026 results on July 28 critical for near-term direction.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) stock surged 6.84% to $352.89, reflecting strong market momentum amid a sector-wide cybersecurity rally. The company has consistently beaten earnings expectations in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.85 surpassing the $0.793 estimate. Technical indicators show a bullish trend, while analyst sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive with 74% buy ratings. The company's revenue growth trajectory is solid, projected to reach $10.6B in 2026, though valuation ratios remain elevated with a P/E of 307.84 and P/S of 24.58.
The outlook for PANW is favorable due to accelerating AI-driven cybersecurity demand and strong execution, but risks include premium valuation compression and intensifying competition from Fortinet and Zscaler. While free cash flow generation remains healthy at $3.72B in 2025, the stock trades above the consensus price target of $339.56, suggesting near-term consolidation may precede further gains as the company capitalizes on platformization and AI security tailwinds.
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Returns comparison
Trailing returns across standard periods
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
Top news
Latest headlines on both assets
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 Palo Alto Networks Inc
Palo Alto Networks is a pure-play cybersecurity vendor that sells security appliances, subscriptions, and support into enterprises, government entities, and service providers. The company's product portfolio includes firewall appliances, virtual firewalls, endpoint protection, cloud security, and cybersecurity analytics. The Santa Clara, California, firm was established in 2005 and sells its products worldwide.
Read more on PANW →
