ECL vs. GFI: Ecolab vs. Gold Fields Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI) both fall under the Materials industry group, but ECL is classified in Chemicals while GFI is classified in Metals & Mining.

Ecolab (ECL) trades as ordinary local shares, while Gold Fields (GFI) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Profile Item	ECL	GFI
Name	Ecolab Inc.	Gold Fields Ltd. Sponsored ADR
Country/Region	United States	South Africa
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Chemicals	Metals & Mining
GICS Sub-Industry	Specialty Chemicals	Gold
Market Capitalization	84.33 billion USD	34.65 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	February 21, 1973	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ECL

GFI

GSPC

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Total Return (1Y)	20.33%	9.54%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	21.41%	51.07%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	6.90%	38.08%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ECL

GFI

GSPC

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	21.72%	60.41%
Beta (5Y)	0.84	0.64
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-43.70%	-56.22%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.40M	3.78M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ECL and GFI are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.74	0.09
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.13	0.12

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Gold Fields (GFI) at 58.68% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Ecolab (ECL) at 20.77% also sits in the top quartile.

ECL

Materials industry group

20.77%

Max: 52.88%
ECL: 20.77%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

GFI

Materials industry group

58.68%

GFI: 58.68%
Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 38.66% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Ecolab (ECL) at 11.99%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ECL

Materials industry group

11.99%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
ECL: 11.99%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

GFI

Materials industry group

38.66%

GFI: 38.66%
Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 55.00% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Ecolab (ECL) at 19.22%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ECL

Materials industry group

19.22%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
ECL: 19.22%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

GFI

Materials industry group

55.00%

Max: 66.70%
GFI: 55.00%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
ROE (TTM)	20.77%	58.68%
ROA (TTM)	7.29%	28.52%
Net Margin (TTM)	11.99%	38.66%
Operating Margin (TTM)	19.22%	55.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)	44.04%	57.77%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Gold Fields (GFI) at 68.24% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Ecolab (ECL) at 2.16% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for GFI.

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Gold Fields (GFI) at 185.51% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Ecolab (ECL) at -1.22% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for GFI.

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Revenue Growth (YoY)	2.16%	68.24%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	4.26%	26.86%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-1.22%	185.51%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	24.09%	71.58%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 1.87 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Ecolab (ECL) at 1.11 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ECL.

ECL

Materials industry group

1.11

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
ECL: 1.11
Min: 0.16

GFI

Materials industry group

1.87

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
GFI: 1.87
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 0.29 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Ecolab (ECL) at 1.33 uses more debt funding than most peers.

ECL

Materials industry group

1.33

Max: 1.98
ECL: 1.33
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

GFI

Materials industry group

0.29

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
Median: 0.47
GFI: 0.29
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.11	1.87
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	1.33	0.29
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.09	0.06

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Ecolab (ECL) at 0.95% pays an industry-typical yield; Gold Fields (GFI) at 5.65% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

ECL

Materials industry group

0.95%

Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
ECL: 0.95%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GFI

Materials industry group

5.65%

GFI: 5.65%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Ecolab (ECL) at 39.73% and Gold Fields (GFI) at 31.81% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

ECL

Materials industry group

39.73%

Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
ECL: 39.73%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GFI

Materials industry group

31.81%

Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
GFI: 31.81%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.95%	5.65%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	39.73%	31.81%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 8.03 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Ecolab (ECL) at 40.91 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

ECL

Materials industry group

40.91

Max: 59.00
ECL: 40.91
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

GFI

Materials industry group

8.03

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
GFI: 8.03
Min: 3.93

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Gold Fields (GFI) at 3.05 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Ecolab (ECL) at 4.85 sits in the pricier quartile — ECL costs more per dollar of sales.

ECL

Materials industry group

4.85

Max: 9.62
ECL: 4.85
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

GFI

Materials industry group

3.05

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
GFI: 3.05
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both Ecolab (ECL) at 8.09 and Gold Fields (GFI) at 7.78 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

ECL

Materials industry group

8.09

ECL: 8.09
Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

GFI

Materials industry group

7.78

GFI: 7.78
Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

Ecolab (ECL) vs. Gold Fields (GFI): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ecolab (ECL) and Gold Fields (GFI)
Metric	ECL	GFI
P/E Ratio (TTM)	40.91	8.03
P/S Ratio (TTM)	4.85	3.05
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	8.09	7.78
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	1.71%	12.05%