Home Compare ECL vs LIN
Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Specialty Chemicals

Ecolab vs Linde: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Linde holds the cleaner structural position, with growth as the main driver and profitability adding further support. Ecolab still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-07-05

Growth points more clearly toward Ecolab Inc., even if the broader score still leans toward Linde plc.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Chemicals

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. ECL and LIN share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Ecolab and Linde each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
ECL
Ecolab Inc.
61
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
LIN
Linde plc
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: ECL vs LIN Profitability 52 79 Stability 64 79 Valuation 47 50 Growth 92 63 ECL LIN
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +29
#2 Profitability +27
#3 Stability +15
#4 Valuation +3
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ECL and LIN Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ECLLIN Relative valuation Structural strength

The setup is mixed: neither company clearly combines the stronger profile with the more supportive price setup.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ECL and LIN each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ECL Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap LIN Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 98th 99th
ECL (98th percentile) and LIN (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Both profiles are strong on growth, but Ecolab Inc. leads clearly.
Profitability
On profitability, the same pattern holds: both rank well, but Linde plc still sits higher.
Growth — Dominant Gap
ECL
92
LIN
63
Gap+29in favour of ECL

The main growth separation is wide, driven by a meaningfully stronger expansion profile.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Ecolab Inc. still shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which keeps the wider picture mixed rather than completely one-sided.

What this means for the comparison

Growth is the clearest driver of the lead, with profitability adding further support — though growth still provides a real counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ECL vs LIN comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how ECL and LIN each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.