Discontinued — last reported Q4 '17
Goodwill
Ecolab Goodwill increased by 13.7% to $9.23B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 16.7%, from $7.91B to $9.23B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Goodwill shows an upward trend with a 9.0% CAGR.
Analysis
How to read this metric
High goodwill indicates a history of aggressive M&A; significant write-downs signal that acquired assets are underperforming expectations.
Detailed definition
Goodwill represents the premium paid over the fair market value of net identifiable assets during an acquisition. It ref...
Peer comparison
Common in industries with high M&A activity; peers are compared based on the ratio of goodwill to total equity.
goodwillHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $6.17B | $6.13B | $8.06B | $8.08B | $7.94B | $7.74B | $8.01B | $8.06B | $8.10B | $8.10B | $8.15B | $8.11B | $7.82B | $7.90B | $7.91B | $7.86B | $8.05B | $8.11B | $9.23B |
| QoQ Change | — | -0.8% | +31.6% | +0.2% | -1.8% | -2.5% | +3.5% | +0.6% | +0.5% | -0.0% | +0.6% | -0.5% | -3.6% | +1.0% | +0.1% | -0.5% | +2.3% | +0.8% | +13.7% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +28.6% | +26.4% | -0.6% | -0.2% | +2.1% | +4.6% | +1.7% | +0.6% | -3.4% | -2.5% | -3.0% | -3.0% | +2.9% | +2.7% | +16.7% |
Business Segments
| Segment | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Services | — | — | — | — | $4.28B | $4.37B | $4.40B | $5.51B |
| Global Healthcare And Life Sciences | $3.15B | $2.85B | $2.87B | $2.82B | $2.39B | $2.47B | $2.50B | $2.49B |
| Global Institutional | $609.20M | $609.60M | $611.60M | $613.20M | $1.02B | $1.04B | $1.04B | $1.04B |
| Global Pest Elimination | $136.10M | $159.00M | $170.30M | $169.40M | $169.00M | $171.40M | $172.20M | $189.60M |
| Global Industrial | $4.22B | $4.20B | $4.25B | $4.30B | — | — | — | — |
| Total | $8.11B | $7.82B | $7.90B | $7.91B | $7.86B | $8.05B | $8.11B | $9.23B |
Global Industrial, Other Reportable were previously reported and have since been discontinued or reclassified. Only currently active segments are shown in the chart.
Goodwill at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ecolab's goodwill?
- Ecolab (ECL) reported goodwill of $9.23B in Q4 2025.
- How has Ecolab's goodwill changed year-over-year?
- Ecolab's goodwill increased by 16.7% year-over-year, from $7.91B to $9.23B.
- What is the long-term trend for Ecolab's goodwill?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Ecolab's goodwill has grown at a 9.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $6.01B to $9.23B.
- What does goodwill mean?
- The premium paid for an acquisition above the value of its tangible and identifiable assets.