Ecolab Inc. (ECL) scored on five pillars from its reported financial statements, and ranked against 77 Materials companies.
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) scores 6.7 out of 10 as of , computed from its reported financial statements. That reads as solid quality. The reading rests on profitability, and growth is what holds it back.
Data provided by Twelve Data. Scores are computed by Lemma Analysis from reported financials.
We cannot judge Ecolab Inc. yet, because fewer than five years had both a return on capital and a cost of capital we could measure. This is not a “no”.
Quantitative signs of a moat, read from the filed statements. This is not a judgement of where it comes from (brand, network effects, switching costs). How Lemma measures a moat →
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) has a Lemma Quality Score of 6.7 out of 10 as of October 19, 2026, which reads as solid quality. A solid reading is a respectable business with clear strengths and at least one area that falls short of the best in its field. Five pillars feed it, and every one of them is computed from what the company reported rather than from its share price.
Set against 77 Materials companies, Ecolab Inc. lands at the 88th percentile, in the top quarter of its peers. For reference, the middle of the group scores 4.4 and a company needs 6.2 to reach its top quarter, which leaves Ecolab Inc. well above the median.
Ecolab Inc.’s profitability score is 7.3 out of 10 (strong). Against a median of 4.4 among 74 Materials companies, that is well above the group and the 84th percentile. Returns and margins at this level leave room to reinvest, absorb a bad year or return cash to shareholders without straining the business.
Solvency scores 6.7 out of 10, which reads as average. The median across 66 Materials companies is 6.7, so Ecolab Inc. is in line with its peers on this pillar and ranks at the 49th percentile. An average solvency reading suggests debt is present but manageable, the normal state for a company that borrows to fund its operations.
On growth, Ecolab Inc. scores 6.1, an average reading. Its peers have a median of 3.2 across 57 Materials companies, which places it well above them, at the 84th percentile. Growth near the median is neither a reason to buy nor a concern, but it does mean the quality case rests more on the other pillars.
Ecolab Inc.’s efficiency score is 6.3 out of 10 (average). Against a median of 5.2 among 71 Materials companies, that is above the group and the 75th percentile. An average efficiency reading suggests the business turns its assets and earnings into cash at roughly the rate its sector does.
Predictability scores 6.9 out of 10, which reads as average. The median across 76 Materials companies is 4.5, so Ecolab Inc. is well above its peers on this pillar and ranks at the 92nd percentile. Consistency near the median is typical, and it is worth checking whether the swings came from the business itself or from one-off items.
Ecolab Inc.’s pillars sit close together: profitability is the strongest at 7.3 and growth the weakest at 6.1, a spread of only 1.2 points. A profile this even means the overall is a fair summary of the business. Leading with profitability is the most valuable kind of strength, because margins and returns are what the other pillars ultimately feed. A growth shortfall often comes with size or a maturing market, and is less of a concern if the other pillars are strong.
Every scored pillar is at or above the median of Materials companies, so there is no catch-up left to lift the overall. The risk runs the other way: a one point fall in profitability, the heaviest of them, would take the score from 6.7 to about 6.5. All five pillars could be scored, so the overall uses the full set of weights out of 100: profitability 25, solvency 20, growth 20, efficiency 15, predictability 20.
These are the Materials companies closest to Ecolab Inc. in market value. Each has its own page scored on the same five pillars, so the comparison is like for like.
How much profit the company generates from its capital and sales.
The company’s ability to service debt and meet its obligations.
How fast revenue, earnings and cash flow are compounding.
How well assets and earnings convert into cash and output.
How stable and consistent results have been over time.
Each metric is scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks, where higher is better. Metrics roll up into five pillars, and the pillars combine into the overall score using the weights shown. Sector-sensitive metrics are judged relative to peers in the same sector.
This score is a systematic, backward-looking read of reported fundamentals. It does not judge valuation, management quality, competitive moat, or future prospects, and can be distorted by one-off items or unusual accounting. Treat it as a starting point, not a recommendation.
Educational only. Not investment advice.
On this reading Ecolab Inc. scores 6.7 out of 10, which reads as solid quality. Its strongest pillar is profitability, its weakest is growth. Quality is not the same as a good investment: the score says nothing about the price you would pay.
Ecolab Inc. ranks at the 88th percentile of the 77 Materials companies Lemma publishes a score for. The median there is 4.4 and the top quarter starts at 6.2, against Ecolab Inc.’s 6.7.
Five pillars, each scored from 0 to 10 against sector-aware benchmarks and then weighted into one overall reading: profitability, solvency, growth, efficiency and predictability. Everything comes from reported financials, and nothing comes from price, sentiment or forecasts.
This page last changed on October 19, 2026. The score moves with the financial statements, so the page changes when a new filing moves the reading rather than on a schedule. Live figures for ECL are in the app.
No. Quality and valuation are separate questions, and a good business at the wrong price is still a bad purchase. Score the business here, then price it with a DCF you control.
Inside Lemma Analysis the same five pillars run on every company we cover, with the metrics behind each one, current fundamentals, a DCF you control and a watchlist that tells you when the price catches up.
Free to start · No credit card