The business behind the dividend
| Measure | ECL | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 21.2% | 11.7% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | 15.2% | 10.1% | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | $1.70bn | $632.00m | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | $1.90bn | $746.10m | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | 17.0% | 15.0% | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 12.9% | 10.2% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | 0.84x | 0.79x | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | 8.94x | 4.43x | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | 1.08x | 1.25x | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | 17.50x | 2.30x | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | 1.42x | 1.78x | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 21.2% | 24.1% | 17.1% | 15.1% | 15.6% | -19.2% | 18.1% | 18.0% | 20.0% | 18.1% | 18.0% |
| Return on capital employed | 15.2% | 17.2% | 12.3% | 9.9% | 10.0% | 10.9% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 13.1% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| Operating margin | 17.0% | 17.8% | 13.0% | 11.0% | 12.6% | 11.8% | 14.7% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 14.2% | 14.1% |
| Net margin | 12.9% | 13.4% | 9.0% | 7.7% | 8.9% | -10.1% | 12.5% | 11.8% | 11.0% | 9.5% | 9.5% |
| Debt to equity | 0.84x | 0.86x | 1.02x | 1.19x | 1.21x | 1.08x | 0.73x | 0.88x | 0.97x | 0.97x | 0.97x |
| Current ratio | 1.08x | 1.26x | 1.30x | 1.30x | 1.32x | 1.75x | 1.33x | 1.27x | 1.32x | 1.42x | 1.30x |
| Cash conversion | 1.42x | 1.33x | 1.76x | 1.64x | 1.82x | — | 1.54x | 1.58x | 1.38x | 1.56x | 1.56x |
How it compares in consumer staples
Among the 38 consumer staples companies here measured on free cash flow, Ecolab pays out less than 28 of them. The median for that group is 65.1%, against this company’s 39.6%.
Closest on free cash flow
- Estee Lauder Companies (EL) 38.6%
- Constellation Brands (STZ) 39.9%
- J M Smucker (SJM) 40.2%
- Avery Dennison (AVY) 40.5%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 43 in consumer staples →