Ecolab Inc. vs Upstart Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $274.02 (market cap $76.06B), while Upstart Holdings Inc trades at $31.04 (market cap $3.02B). The key difference: Ecolab Inc. is far larger — about 25.2× Upstart Holdings Inc's market cap, and Ecolab Inc. pays a 1.08% dividend while Upstart Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | UPST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.06B | $3.02B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Financials |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $84.13 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $24.22 |
Enterprise Value | $84.81B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | — |
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.
Upstart Holdings (UPST) trades at $31.72, up 0.83% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and mixed recent earnings. The company reported a significant revenue rebound to $1.02B in 2025 and a return to profitability with $53.60M net income, but Q1 2026 saw an unexpected EPS miss. Analyst consensus is split between Buy and Hold, with a $42.00 price target suggesting potential upside. Recent news highlights the company's AI lending platform expansion and a key $600M funding deal.
The outlook hinges on execution of its AI-driven lending model amid margin pressures. Investment opportunity lies in the company's revenue growth and expanding product lines, but risks include volatile cash flows, high debt levels, and sensitivity to funding markets and economic cycles. The stock's high P/E ratio of 77.05 demands sustained high growth to justify valuation.
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 →Upstart Holdings Inc provides credit services. The company provides a proprietary, cloud-based, artificial intelligence lending platform. The platform aggregates consumer demand for loans and connects it to the network of Upstart AI-enabled bank partners. The revenue of the company is primarily comprised of fees paid by banks.
Read more on UPST →