Stocks / ALB vs ECL

ALB vs ECL: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?

Albemarle Corporation and Ecolab Inc. side by side — fundamentals from SEC filings, refreshed nightly. Sector: Basic Materials.

ECL is the larger company ($78.1B vs $13.9B). On the fundamentals, ALB grows revenue faster (10.4% vs 6.4%); ECL earns a higher net margin (12.9% vs -13.2%); ECL has the stronger return on equity (21.2% vs -7.1%). On the filings, ECL carries fewer potential red flags (0 vs 1). Full numbers below — the stronger figure on each row is in green.

AI verdict — ALB vs ECL, read from the filings

The stronger business, the cheaper stock, and the risks — synthesised from both companies’ SEC filings, every figure computed not guessed. Not investment advice.

 Albemarle Corporation (ALB)Ecolab Inc. (ECL)
Market cap$13.9B$78.1B
Revenue (latest FY)$5.14B$16.08B
Net income (latest FY)$-677.38M$2.08B
Revenue growth (5y CAGR)10.4%6.4%
Net margin-13.2%12.9%
Return on equity-7.1%21.2%
P/E ratio37.3
Dividend yield1.4%1.1%
Profitable years (of last 10)89
Positive free cash flowYesYes

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See the full ALB vs ECL breakdown

Both companies across 19 years of income statement, balance sheet and cash flow — with ratios, health checks and Ask, the SEC-grounded research assistant. Free, no account needed.

Open ALB's full financials →   Open ECL's full financials →

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Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, ALB or ECL?

Ecolab Inc. is larger by market capitalization — $78.1B versus $13.9B.

Which grows faster, ALB or ECL?

Over the last five fiscal years, Albemarle Corporation grew revenue faster — 10.4%/yr versus 6.4%/yr, computed from SEC-filed statements.

Where does this data come from?

All figures are computed from official SEC filings (10-K), refreshed nightly. This is a data comparison, not investment advice.

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