Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Sets New 12-Month Low After Analyst Downgrade

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) shares hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday after Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on the stock from $285.00 to $260.00. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Ecolab traded as low as $243.15 and last traded at $245.4470, with a volume of 114066 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $249.21.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on ECL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 price objective (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Erste Group Bank lowered Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $321.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market cap of $69.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.31, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $265.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $271.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

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.