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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ecolab (ECL) and SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC (SAH). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Ecolab is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($4.1B vs $3.9B, roughly 1.1× SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC). Ecolab runs the higher net margin — 10.6% vs 1.2%, a 9.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ecolab posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.0% vs -0.6%). Over the past eight quarters, SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC's revenue compounded faster (7.0% CAGR vs 1.0%).
Ecolab Inc., headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provides products related to water treatment, sanitation, and hygiene, primarily to commercial and industrial customers.
Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the fifth largest automotive retailer in the United States as measured by total revenues. The company was founded by O Bruton Smith and completed its initial public offering on the NYSE in 1997.
ECL vs SAH — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.1B | $3.9B |
| Net Profit | $432.6M | $46.9M |
| Gross Margin | — | 15.5% |
| Operating Margin | 15.3% | 3.2% |
| Net Margin | 10.6% | 1.2% |
| Revenue YoY | 10.0% | -0.6% |
| Net Profit YoY | 1.3% | -20.0% |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.52 | $1.39 |
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.
| Q2 26 | $4.1B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $4.2B | $3.9B | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.2B | $4.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.0B | $3.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.7B | $3.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $4.0B | $3.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $4.0B | $3.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.0B | $3.5B |
| Q2 26 | $432.6M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $563.9M | $46.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $585.0M | $46.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $524.2M | $-45.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | $402.5M | $70.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $472.9M | $58.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $736.5M | $74.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $490.9M | $41.2M |
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 44.0% | 15.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 44.8% | 15.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 44.8% | 16.5% | ||
| Q1 25 | 44.2% | 15.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | 43.3% | 14.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 43.4% | 15.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 43.8% | 15.6% |
| Q2 26 | 15.3% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.0% | 3.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 18.3% | 3.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 17.6% | -0.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.0% | 4.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 14.6% | 3.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 26.1% | 3.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 16.5% | 3.1% |
| Q2 26 | 10.6% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 13.4% | 1.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 14.0% | 1.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 13.0% | -1.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 10.9% | 1.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 11.8% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 18.4% | 2.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 12.3% | 1.2% |
| Q2 26 | $1.52 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.98 | $1.39 | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.05 | $1.33 | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.84 | $-1.34 | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.41 | $2.04 | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.65 | $1.67 | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.58 | $2.13 | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.71 | $1.18 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $519.8K | $6.3M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $8.5M | $1.6B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $10.0M | $1.1B |
| Total Assets | $25.0M | $6.0B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.85× | 1.51× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q2 26 | $519.8K | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $646.2M | $6.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.0B | $89.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.9B | $110.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.2B | $64.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $44.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.3B | $17.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $384.0M | $67.2M |
| Q2 26 | $8.5M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $7.4B | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $8.1B | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $7.5B | $1.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $7.0B | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $6.9B | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 24 | $7.0B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $7.5B | $1.7B |
| Q2 26 | $10.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $9.8B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.7B | $1.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.3B | $1.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $8.9B | $1.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.8B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $8.5B | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $8.3B | $944.7M |
| Q2 26 | $25.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $24.7B | $6.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $23.9B | $6.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $23.7B | $5.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $22.4B | $5.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $22.4B | $5.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $22.1B | $5.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $21.5B | $5.8B |
| Q2 26 | 0.85× | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.75× | 1.51× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.83× | 1.39× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.81× | 1.48× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.79× | 1.44× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.79× | 1.49× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.82× | 1.67× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.91× | 1.81× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | — | $66.9M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | $-195.6M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | -5.1% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | 6.8% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 1.43× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $192.3M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.1B | $66.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $791.3M | $167.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $701.8M | $136.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $369.4M | $195.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $766.7M | $87.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $786.7M | $87.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $611.1M | $-136.4M |
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $758.0M | $-195.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $529.7M | $134.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $485.1M | $102.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $131.5M | $150.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $407.0M | $-245.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $550.3M | $34.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $414.2M | $-185.2M |
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 18.1% | -5.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 12.7% | 3.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 12.1% | 2.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 3.6% | 4.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 10.2% | -6.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 13.8% | 1.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.4% | -5.4% |
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 7.9% | 6.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 6.3% | 0.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 5.4% | 0.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 6.4% | 1.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 9.0% | 8.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 5.9% | 1.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.9% | 1.4% |
| Q2 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.93× | 1.43× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.35× | 3.59× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.34× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.92× | 2.77× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.62× | 1.50× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.07× | 1.18× | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.24× | -3.31× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
ECL
| Product and equipment sales | $3.2B | 78% |
| Service and lease sales | $891.5M | 22% |
SAH
| Retail New Vehicles | $1.9B | 48% |
| Other | $1.2B | 31% |
| Parts Serviceand Collision Repair | $515.2M | 13% |
| Finance Insurance And Other Net | $202.2M | 5% |
| Wholesale Vehicles | $63.9M | 2% |
| Fleet New Vehicles | $24.0M | 1% |
