Wells Fargo & Company Lowers Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target to $285.00

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its price objective dropped by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $310.00 to $285.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.56% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on ECL. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.24.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $272.57 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $287.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $274.38. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $76.86 billion, a PE ratio of 37.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The company had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Analysts predict that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.

Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.