VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ecolab Inc. vs PPG Industries, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$77B
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

PPG Industries, Inc.

PPG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorMaterials
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-12
Moat score
62/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into PPG Industries, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PPG analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Ecolab Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 62 / 100 for PPG Industries, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial); PPG Industries, Inc. has 3 segments (42.2% in Industrial Coatings).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Weak.
  • Moat breadth: Ecolab Inc. has 7 moat types across 3 domains; PPG Industries, Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

PPG Industries, Inc.

Industrial Coatings

Market

Industrial coatings for OEM/manufacturing (automotive OEM, general industrial, packaging coatings, specialty materials)

Geography

Global

Customer

Automotive OEMs and tier suppliers, industrial manufacturers, can/closure and packaging producers

Role

Coatings/materials supplier integrated into OEM production processes

Revenue share

42.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Ecolab Inc.
PPG Industries, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
PPG - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$77B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
44.3%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
12.5%
n/a
Sector
Materials
Materials
Industry
Chemicals - Specialty
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Industrial
Industrial Coatings
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Weak
Moat score
63 / 100
62 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-12

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageBrand Trust

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinInstalled Base ConsumablesLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

PPG Industries, Inc. strengths

Distribution ControlLearning Curve YieldDesign In QualificationScale Economies Unit Cost

Segment mix

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

PPG Industries, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Architectural Coatings

Competitive

24.7%

Performance Coatings

Oligopoly

33.1%

Industrial Coatings

Oligopoly

42.2%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.