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EcolabHAM:ECJ +3.60%85 Cash Ratio is 0.09 as of Mar. 2026, which is 10% below its 10-year median of 0.10. GuruFocus rates HAM:ECJ with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of €232.81 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 1,580 Chemicals companies, Ecolab ranks better than 65.25% on this metric.
Ecolab has a Cash Ratio of 0.09. It indicates that there are more current liabilities than Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities, and the company does not have sufficient cash on hand to pay off its short-term debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Ecolab's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
HAM:ECJ'
s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.01 Med: 0.1 Max: 0.86
Current: 0.86
During the past 13 years, Ecolab's highest Cash Ratio was 0.86. The lowest was 0.01. And the median was 0.10.
HAM:ECJ's Cash Ratio is ranked better than 65.25% of 1580
companies
in the Chemicals industry
Industry Median: 0.5
vs HAM:ECJ: 0.86
Ecolab (HAM:ECJ) Cash Ratio Explanation
The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.
The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.
In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.
Ecolab Cash Ratio Related Terms
Ecolab Cash Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Ecolab's Cash Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Ecolab's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Ecolab Cash Ratio vs Chemicals Industry
For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Ecolab's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Ecolab's Cash Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Ecolab (HAM:ECJ) has a Cash Ratio of 0.09 as of Mar. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Ecolab and its competitors. This is 10% below median its historical median of 0.10. Over the past decade, Ecolab's Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.01 to 0.86. According to the industry distribution chart, Ecolab ranks #549 out of 1580 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 34.7%.
Is Ecolab's Cash Ratio too high?
Ecolab's current Cash Ratio of 0.09 is 10% below median its 10-year median of 0.10. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.01 to a high of 0.86. The Chemicals industry median Cash Ratio is 0.50. Ecolab's value of 0.09 is 82% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Ecolab ranks #549 out of 1580 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Ecolab has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Ecolab's Cash Ratio compare to SHW and APD?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Ecolab ranks #549 out of 1580 companies for Cash Ratio. This puts Ecolab in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.50. Ecolab's value of 0.09 is 82% below this benchmark. Historically, Ecolab's own Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.01 to 0.86 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.10 vs. the industry median of 0.50, Ecolab has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for a Chemicals company?
The median Cash Ratio among Chemicals companies is 0.50, based on 1,580 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Ecolab's current Cash Ratio of 0.09 is 82% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Ecolab and its competitors. For the Chemicals industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.50 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Ecolab's current Cash Ratio is 0.09, which is 10% below median its own 10-year median of 0.10. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Ecolab stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ecolab (HAM:ECJ) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €232.81, compared to a current price of €244.40 — trading 5% above its estimated fair value. The current Cash Ratio is 0.09, which is 10% below median its 10-year median of 0.10 and 82% below the Chemicals industry median of 0.50. Ecolab's overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Ecolab (HAM:ECJ), the current Cash Ratio is 0.09 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Ecolab (HAM:ECJ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Ecolab stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €244.40 is trading 5% above its estimated GF Value™ of €232.81.
GuruFocus considers Ecolab to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for HAM:ECJ:
Cash Ratio: 0.09 (10% below median its 10-year median of 0.10)
GF Value™: €232.81 vs. price of €244.40 (5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 82% below the Chemicals median (#549 of 1580)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HAM:ECJ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Ecolab produces and markets cleaning and sanitation products for the industrial manufacturing, data center, hospitality, healthcare, and life sciences markets. The firm is the global market share leader in this category with a wide array of products and services, including dish and laundry washing systems, pest control, and infection control products. Additionally, Ecolab sells customized water management and cooling solutions across its end markets. The company has a strong hold on the US market and is growing its presence abroad.
85GF Score
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