Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a positive outlook: Twenty-one brokerages give Ecolab a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with 17 buys, three holds and one strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $327.67, above the reported share price of $280.84.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Ecolab reported $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, slightly beating estimates, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. Analysts expect full-year EPS of $8.16.
• Shareholders will receive a quarterly dividend: Ecolab declared a $0.73-per-share dividend, equivalent to $2.92 annually and a 1.0% yield, with a 39.19% payout ratio.

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the firm, 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 twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $327.67.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ecolab from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $342.00 to $344.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Ecolab from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $280.84 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $279.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $270.50. Ecolab has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $78.73 billion, a PE ratio of 37.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.87.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ecolab will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wellington Altus USA Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 64.2% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Union Savings Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Polaris Financial Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc NYSE: ECL is a global provider of water, hygiene, infection prevention and related services. The company helps businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations through specialized products, technologies, equipment and on-site expertise.

Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing solutions, water treatment and process-management systems, food safety programs, infection prevention products, pest elimination services and solutions for industrial operations. Ecolab serves customers in industries including hospitality, healthcare, food and beverage production, life sciences, manufacturing, energy, retail and institutional services.

The company was founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory and adopted the Ecolab name in 1986.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.