Ecolab Inc. vs Shell PLC — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $273.79 (market cap $76.06B), while Shell PLC trades at $85.08 (market cap $228.96B). The key difference: Shell PLC is far larger — about 3× Ecolab Inc.'s market cap, and Shell PLC pays the higher dividend (3.69%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | SHEL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.06B | $228.96B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Energy |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $94.15 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $70.28 |
Enterprise Value | $84.81B | $281.49B |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | 3.69% |
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.
Shell (SHEL) trades at $85.43, up 1.21% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The stock shows strong valuation metrics with a P/E of 13.18 and P/S of 0.93, supported by recent earnings beats and a 7.01% net income margin. Recent news highlights strategic moves including the ARC Resources acquisition and Venezuela gas field development, while cash flow trends indicate operational strength despite net outflows.
Outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $122.20, reflecting 43% upside potential, driven by robust gas trading and refining margins. Key risks include Middle East production disruptions and volatile oil prices, but analyst sentiment is strongly bullish with 69% buy ratings. The dividend yield and debt reduction efforts provide additional shareholder value support.
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 →Shell is an integrated oil and gas company that explores for, produces, and refines oil around the world. In 2021, it produced 1.7 million barrels of liquids and 8.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. At year-end 2021, reserves stood at 9.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, 50% of which consisted of liquids. Its production and reserves are in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and North and South America. The company operates refineries with capacity of 1.8 mmb/d located in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe and sells 15 mtpa of chemicals. Its largest chemical plants, often integrated with its local refineries, are in Central Europe, China, Singapore, and North America.
Read more on SHEL →