Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.430-8.630 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 8.460. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.2 billion-$17.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $17.2 billion. Ecolab also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.670-1.730 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. Barclays upped their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 target price on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.33.

Ecolab Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of Ecolab stock traded up $8.82 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $296.98. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 592,411 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,193,566. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $271.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $270.72. The company has a market cap of $84.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $296.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a $0.73 dividend. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.95%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS beat — Ecolab reported $2.08 EPS vs. a $2.06 consensus, up from $1.81 a year ago, showing ongoing operating leverage. Ecolab (ECL) Tops Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 profit outlook above consensus — management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.43–$8.63, which sits slightly above the Street midpoint and signals confidence in sustained demand across segments. Ecolab forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management cites strong end-market demand — commentary accompanying the results highlighted continued growth drivers for cleaning, sanitization and cooling products/services that support the raised outlook. Ecolab forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 guidance roughly in line — Q1 EPS guide of $1.670–$1.730 compares to a $1.690 consensus, effectively in line with expectations and implying steady start to FY‑2026.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue guidance range wide but centered near consensus — management gave FY revenue guidance of ~$17.2–17.5B vs. Street ~17.2B, which is supportive but leaves room for execution risk.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue marginally missed — reported revenue of $4.19B vs. a $4.20B consensus, a small miss that investors may watch for any signs of softening end‑market volumes. Press Release / Slide Deck

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $77,000. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its stake in Ecolab by 23.3% in the third quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is 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.