Ecolab Inc. vs Prospect Capital Corporation — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $273.17 (market cap $76.06B), while Prospect Capital Corporation trades at $2.32 (market cap $1.14B). The key difference: Ecolab Inc. is far larger — about 66.7× Prospect Capital Corporation's market cap, and Prospect Capital Corporation pays the higher dividend (22.03%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | PSEC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.06B | $1.14B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Financials |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $3.47 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $2.15 |
Enterprise Value | $84.81B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | 22.03% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ECL trades at $273.62, up 1.43% with a bearish technical signal despite strong analyst support. The company shows solid fundamentals with $16.08B revenue, 12.8% net margin, and 22.31% ROE. Recent Q1 2026 earnings met expectations while Q2 2026 results are pending. The $4.75B CoolIT acquisition strengthens AI cooling capabilities, positioning for long-term growth in high-tech markets.
ECL presents a compelling growth story with improving profitability and strategic acquisitions, though current valuation multiples appear elevated. Key risks include execution of recent acquisitions and rising cost pressures. With 76% analyst buy ratings and a $327.43 consensus target suggesting 20% upside, the stock offers potential for patient investors despite near-term technical weakness.
PSEC trades at $2.295, up 1.1% today, with a neutral technical signal and bearish moving averages. The stock shows a low P/B of 0.39 but negative revenue and net income in 2025. Recent earnings beats and consistent dividends highlight income potential, though financial performance remains volatile with a -495.94% net income margin. News includes a new investment in ShipOffers and the sale of Valley Electric.
Outlook is mixed: deep discount to NAV and high yield appeal to income seekers, but persistent financial deterioration and analyst skepticism pose risks. Upside depends on portfolio stability and NAV recovery, while downside risks include further dividend cuts and economic pressures.
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 →Prospect Capital Corp is a closed-end investment company based in the United States. Its investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. The company invests primarily in senior and subordinated debt and equity of private companies for acquisitions, divestitures, growth, development, recapitalizations, and other purposes. It makes investments, including lending in private equity, sponsored transactions, directly to companies, investments in structured credit, real estate, and syndicated debt.
Read more on PSEC →