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Ecolab vs PPG Industries: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with PPG Industries carrying a narrow edge on valuation. Ecolab still leads on growth and stability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

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 2026-05-17

Valuation is the clearest driver, while stability keeps the result from looking one-way.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Chemicals

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

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

Peer-Relative Score
ECL
Ecolab Inc.
62
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PPG
PPG Industries, Inc.
64
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: S&P 500

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

Pricing shapes this comparison more than a broad operating gap.

Dimension spread: ECL vs PPG Profitability 55 61 Stability 66 33 Valuation 52 88 Growth 85 65 ECL PPG
Gap Ranking
#1 Valuation +36
#2 Stability +33
#3 Growth +20
#4 Profitability +6
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ECL and PPG Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ECLPPG Relative valuation Structural strength

Ecolab Inc. still looks stronger overall, though current pricing looks more supportive for PPG Industries, Inc..

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

Entry today — historical context

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

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ECL Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 66 pct gap PPG Lower · below norm 0th 50th 100th 75th 10th
Today PPG sits in the lower portion of its own 5-year history (10th percentile), while ECL sits higher in its own history (75th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, PPG is at a historically more favourable entry position than ECL. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

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

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Valuation
Both profiles are strong on valuation, but PPG Industries, Inc. leads clearly.
Stability
On stability, the gap still runs the same way: Ecolab Inc. sits near the top of the group, while PPG Industries, Inc. remains in the weaker half.
Valuation — Dominant Gap
ECL
52
PPG
88
Gap+36in favour of PPG

The multiple-based pricing edge comes from a forward P/E that is 13.9 turns lower.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

There is still a strong counterforce in stability, so the lead stays clear without becoming a sweep.

What this means for the comparison

The main read on valuation is clearer than the broader score gap.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

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

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how ECL and PPG 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.