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APD vs. ECL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at APD and ECL, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

With APD at 60.01 billion USD and ECL at 73.98 billion USD, their market capitalizations sit in the same ballpark.

With betas of 0.89 for APD and 1.06 for ECL, both show similar volatility profiles relative to the overall market.

SymbolAPDECL
Company NameAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.Ecolab Inc.
CountryUSUS
SectorBasic MaterialsBasic Materials
IndustryChemicals - SpecialtyChemicals - Specialty
CEOMr. Eduardo F. MenezesMr. Christophe Beck
Price269.67 USD260.95 USD
Market Cap60.01 billion USD73.98 billion USD
Beta0.891.06
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateMarch 17, 1980January 1, 1957
ADRNoNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of APD and ECL over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

The section examines key financial ratios to assess the valuation of APD and ECL based on earnings, cash flow, sales, and book value. Pay attention to the following notable points where extreme values stand out.

  • APD has a negative Price-to-Free Cash Flow ratio of -13.85, signaling it consumed more cash than it produced over the last year—an important liquidity warning. In contrast, ECL (P/FCF 53.94) indicates positive free cash flow generation.
SymbolAPDECL
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)39.1735.17
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)5.002.86
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)4.994.72
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)4.088.33
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-13.8553.94
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)22.1520.81
EV-to-Sales (TTM)6.245.17
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-17.3159.08

Dividend Comparison

APD’s dividend yield of 2.63% is about 182% higher than ECL’s 0.94%, underscoring its stronger focus on returning cash to shareholders.

SymbolAPDECL
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.63%0.94%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of APD and ECL, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • APD’s current ratio of 1.00 signals a possible liquidity squeeze, while ECL at 1.32 comfortably covers its short-term obligations.
SymbolAPDECL
Current Ratio (TTM)1.001.32
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.850.98
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)1.120.93
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.420.37
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)7.6612.43