Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seventeen have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $323.7059.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $283.17 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $79.70 billion, a PE ratio of 38.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $262.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $272.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,870,000 after purchasing an additional 6,238 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its holdings in Ecolab by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $86,670,000 after purchasing an additional 68,062 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 7.7% during the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $13,240,000 after purchasing an additional 3,464 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH increased its position in Ecolab by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 100,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,394,000 after buying an additional 12,890 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.