Brokerages Set Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Price Target at $327.56

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $327.5556.

ECL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.8%

ECL stock opened at $269.61 on Friday. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $277.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $75.58 billion, a PE ratio of 36.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wellington Altus USA Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.2% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 3,878 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,080,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the period. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC now owns 3,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $913,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Core Capital Management & Research inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 13.8% during the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 41,300 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $11,507,000 after purchasing an additional 5,014 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company’s offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.