Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $305.00 to $310.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the basic materials company's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target would indicate a potential upside of 6.06% from the company's previous close.
Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on ECL. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on Ecolab from $287.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $325.40.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Ecolab
Ecolab Stock Up 0.3%
NYSE ECL traded up $1.01 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $292.28. The company's stock had a trading volume of 559,263 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,447,267. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $281.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $275.73. Ecolab has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.18, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.87.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.07 EPS. Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Ecolab
In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Findlay Park Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter worth approximately $115,674,000. Cornerstone Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,698,000. Saudi Central Bank grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 89.1% during the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 17,793 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,957,000 after acquiring an additional 8,384 shares during the period. Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter worth $31,932,000. Finally, Moore Capital Management LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter worth $7,298,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Ecolab News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:
- Positive Sentiment: High-tech and organic growth remained major positives. Ecolab reported 7% organic sales growth in the third quarter, while Global High-Tech organic sales surged 63%, reflecting strong demand from semiconductor and AI data-center customers. Ecolab: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
- Positive Sentiment: Revenue and profitability improved year over year. Third-quarter revenue rose 12.7% to $4.69 billion, supported by Water, Life Sciences and digital sales. Adjusted EPS increased to $2.18 from $2.07, while management highlighted margin gains and operating leverage. Ecolab Q3 2026 Revenue Report
- Neutral Sentiment: Results were broadly in line with expectations. Adjusted EPS of $2.18 matched consensus, but revenue of $4.69 billion was slightly below the $4.70 billion estimate. Ecolab projected fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.13 to $2.23, suggesting continued earnings growth but limited near-term upside. Ecolab Q3 Earnings and Outlook
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and reliance on AI-related growth are risks. With Ecolab trading at roughly 39 times earnings, one analysis argued that AI-driven demand alone may not justify the current valuation. Investors may therefore expect sustained execution across the broader business, not just high-tech growth. Ecolab Valuation Analysis
- Negative Sentiment: The outlook was narrowed rather than raised. The combination of a sales miss and a narrowed 2026 outlook may temper enthusiasm, particularly given the stock’s premium valuation, even though management maintained an upbeat tone on margins and demand. Ecolab Q3 Earnings and Outlook
Ecolab Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Ecolab Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning solutions for businesses and institutions. The company helps customers manage water and energy use, maintain sanitary operations, protect food supplies and comply with health and safety standards.
Ecolab serves customers across industries including food and beverage processing, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, institutional facilities and energy. Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, water-treatment and process-management systems, pest-control services, kitchen and housekeeping products, infection-prevention programs, and related equipment, training and consulting services.
Founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory, the company has expanded from its original focus on cleaning products into a broad range of technology-enabled services and solutions.
Further Reading

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