Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, seventeen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $327.5556.

ECL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research cut shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $279.36 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $269.10 and a 200-day moving average of $273.43. The stock has a market cap of $78.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.84.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought 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 Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors 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.