Ecolab Inc. vs Linde plc
LIN wins the Tale of the Tape 5–3.
🏆 Tale of the Tape
Green = winner in each category. Higher is better except P/E (lower = cheaper).
Rolling Correlation
Moderately correlated — some diversification benefit from holding both.
Fundamentals
| Metric | ECL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $72.0B | $230.1B |
| P/E Ratio | 34.6x | 33.0x |
| Forward P/E | 26.6x | 25.3x |
| P/B | 7.20x | 5.97x |
| Dividend Yield | 1.14% | 1.29% |
| Beta | 0.93 | 0.74 |
Quantitative Metrics
| Metric | ECL | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| DCF Fair Value | $136.43 | $96.04 |
| DCF Upside | -50.4% | -81.1% |
| Piotroski F | 5/9 | 5/9 |
| Altman Z | 4.89 | 3.96 |
| Beneish M | -2.46 | -2.62 |
| FCF Yield | 2.27% | 2.05% |
| Net Debt/EBITDA | 1.8x | 1.2x |
| ROIC | 11.8% | 10.3% |
| WACC | 10.5% | 9.3% |
| ROIC – WACC | 1.3pp | 1.1pp |
| Gross Margin | 44.5% | 48.8% |
| Net Margin | 12.9% | 20.3% |
| Rev Growth YoY | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Sharpe (1Y) | 0.63 | 0.66 |
| Max Drawdown 3Y | — | — |
| FCF Payout Ratio | 40% | 55% |
ECL Price
LIN Price
ETF Exposure
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Quant metrics computed from financial statements and 1,200+ trading days. Correlation is Pearson coefficient on daily log returns. Not investment advice.
ECL vs LIN: Head-to-Head Analysis
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) and Linde plc (LIN) represent two companies in the Basic Materials sector. In our quantitative Tale of the Tape scoring, LIN leads 5–3 across nine fundamental and risk metrics including profitability, valuation, capital efficiency, and financial health.
In terms of capital efficiency, ECL generates a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 11.8% compared to LIN's 10.3%. This suggests ECL is more effective at deploying capital to generate shareholder returns.
The 252-day rolling correlation between ECL and LIN is 0.451, indicating moderate co-movement, with some diversification value from holding both in a portfolio context.
ECL appears in 32 ETFs tracked by SecuritiesDB, while LIN appears in 20 ETFs. Investors holding broad-market ETFs may already have indirect exposure to both stocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stock is the better investment, ECL or LIN?
Our quantitative analysis compares ECL and LIN across nine fundamental dimensions. LIN wins the Tale of the Tape 5–3. However, stock selection depends on your individual risk tolerance, time horizon, and portfolio context. These metrics are computed from SEC filings and market data — they are not investment recommendations.
Are ECL and LIN correlated?
The 252-day correlation between ECL and LIN is 0.451. They show moderate correlation — partially diversifying.
How is the Tale of the Tape scored?
The Tale of the Tape compares both stocks across nine categories: profitability (net margin), valuation (P/E), efficiency (ROIC), health (Piotroski F-Score), safety (Altman Z-Score), growth (revenue YoY), risk (Sharpe ratio), leverage (debt-to-equity), and cash generation (FCF yield). The stock that wins more categories takes the overall score. Lower P/E and lower debt-to-equity count as wins.