vs

Side-by-side financial comparison of Ecolab (ECL) and MARKEL GROUP INC. (MKL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Ecolab is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($4.1B vs $3.6B, roughly 1.1× MARKEL GROUP INC.). MARKEL GROUP INC. runs the higher net margin — 16.1% vs 10.6%, a 5.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ecolab posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.0% vs -6.9%). Over the past eight quarters, Ecolab's revenue compounded faster (1.0% CAGR vs -10.5%).

Ecolab Inc., headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provides products related to water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene, primarily to commercial and industrial customers.

Markel Group Inc. is a group of companies headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and originally founded in 1930 as an insurance company.

ECL vs MKL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ECL
ECL
1.1× larger
ECL
$4.1B
$3.6B
MKL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ECL
ECL
+16.9% gap
ECL
10.0%
-6.9%
MKL
Higher net margin
MKL
MKL
5.5% more per $
MKL
16.1%
10.6%
ECL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ECL
ECL
Annualised
ECL
1.0%
-10.5%
MKL

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Revenue
$4.1B
$3.6B
Net Profit
$432.6M
$576.8M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
15.3%
22.2%
Net Margin
10.6%
16.1%
Revenue YoY
10.0%
-6.9%
Net Profit YoY
1.3%
5.0%
EPS (diluted)
$1.52
$48.22

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$4.1B
Q4 25
$4.2B
$3.6B
Q3 25
$4.2B
$3.9B
Q2 25
$4.0B
$4.6B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$3.4B
Q4 24
$4.0B
$3.8B
Q3 24
$4.0B
$4.6B
Q2 24
$4.0B
$3.7B
Net Profit
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$432.6M
Q4 25
$563.9M
$576.8M
Q3 25
$585.0M
$751.3M
Q2 25
$524.2M
$657.1M
Q1 25
$402.5M
$121.7M
Q4 24
$472.9M
$549.2M
Q3 24
$736.5M
$905.0M
Q2 24
$490.9M
$267.7M
Gross Margin
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
44.0%
Q3 25
44.8%
Q2 25
44.8%
Q1 25
44.2%
Q4 24
43.3%
Q3 24
43.4%
Q2 24
43.8%
Operating Margin
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
15.3%
Q4 25
17.0%
22.2%
Q3 25
18.3%
25.7%
Q2 25
17.6%
24.1%
Q1 25
15.0%
8.3%
Q4 24
14.6%
15.5%
Q3 24
26.1%
29.7%
Q2 24
16.5%
11.1%
Net Margin
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
10.6%
Q4 25
13.4%
16.1%
Q3 25
14.0%
19.1%
Q2 25
13.0%
14.3%
Q1 25
10.9%
3.6%
Q4 24
11.8%
14.3%
Q3 24
18.4%
19.6%
Q2 24
12.3%
7.2%
EPS (diluted)
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$1.52
Q4 25
$1.98
$48.22
Q3 25
$2.05
$59.25
Q2 25
$1.84
$49.67
Q1 25
$1.41
$12.08
Q4 24
$1.65
$39.02
Q3 24
$2.58
$66.25
Q2 24
$1.71
$18.62

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$519.8K
$4.0B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$8.5M
$4.3B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$10.0M
$18.6B
Total Assets
$25.0M
$68.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.85×
0.23×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$519.8K
Q4 25
$646.2M
$4.0B
Q3 25
$2.0B
$4.0B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$3.7B
Q1 25
$1.2B
$4.2B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$3.7B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$3.9B
Q2 24
$384.0M
$3.5B
Total Debt
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$8.5M
Q4 25
$7.4B
$4.3B
Q3 25
$8.1B
$4.3B
Q2 25
$7.5B
$4.4B
Q1 25
$7.0B
$4.4B
Q4 24
$6.9B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$7.0B
$4.4B
Q2 24
$7.5B
$4.4B
Stockholders' Equity
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$10.0M
Q4 25
$9.8B
$18.6B
Q3 25
$9.7B
$18.0B
Q2 25
$9.3B
$17.3B
Q1 25
$8.9B
$17.1B
Q4 24
$8.8B
$16.9B
Q3 24
$8.5B
$17.0B
Q2 24
$8.3B
$15.9B
Total Assets
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
$25.0M
Q4 25
$24.7B
$68.9B
Q3 25
$23.9B
$67.4B
Q2 25
$23.7B
$66.8B
Q1 25
$22.4B
$64.6B
Q4 24
$22.4B
$61.9B
Q3 24
$22.1B
$62.3B
Q2 24
$21.5B
$59.7B
Debt / Equity
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
0.85×
Q4 25
0.75×
0.23×
Q3 25
0.83×
0.24×
Q2 25
0.81×
0.25×
Q1 25
0.79×
0.26×
Q4 24
0.79×
0.26×
Q3 24
0.82×
0.26×
Q2 24
0.91×
0.28×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$662.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$599.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.8%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.15×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$2.6B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
$1.1B
$662.2M
Q3 25
$791.3M
$1.2B
Q2 25
$701.8M
$504.4M
Q1 25
$369.4M
$376.2M
Q4 24
$766.7M
$493.9M
Q3 24
$786.7M
$890.8M
Q2 24
$611.1M
$578.6M
Free Cash Flow
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
$758.0M
$599.1M
Q3 25
$529.7M
$1.2B
Q2 25
$485.1M
$453.8M
Q1 25
$131.5M
$335.5M
Q4 24
$407.0M
$420.0M
Q3 24
$550.3M
$838.9M
Q2 24
$414.2M
$521.4M
FCF Margin
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
18.1%
16.7%
Q3 25
12.7%
29.6%
Q2 25
12.1%
9.9%
Q1 25
3.6%
9.9%
Q4 24
10.2%
10.9%
Q3 24
13.8%
18.2%
Q2 24
10.4%
14.1%
Capex Intensity
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
7.9%
1.8%
Q3 25
6.3%
1.3%
Q2 25
5.4%
1.1%
Q1 25
6.4%
1.2%
Q4 24
9.0%
1.9%
Q3 24
5.9%
1.1%
Q2 24
4.9%
1.5%
Cash Conversion
ECL
ECL
MKL
MKL
Q2 26
Q4 25
1.93×
1.15×
Q3 25
1.35×
1.62×
Q2 25
1.34×
0.77×
Q1 25
0.92×
3.09×
Q4 24
1.62×
0.90×
Q3 24
1.07×
0.98×
Q2 24
1.24×
2.16×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ECL
ECL

Product and equipment sales$3.2B78%
Service and lease sales$891.5M22%

MKL
MKL

Industrial$1.6B45%
Consumer And Other$958.3M27%
Financial$737.0M21%
Other$198.8M6%
Corporate Operations$52.0M1%
Revenue From Contract With Customer$10.5M0%

Related Comparisons