Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Ecolab has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 21 covering analysts, with 16 Buy ratings, 1 Strong Buy, and 4 Holds. The average 12-month price target is about $322.53.
• The company’s latest quarterly results were solid, with $1.70 EPS matching expectations and revenue of $4.07 billion topping estimates. Ecolab also guided FY 2026 EPS to $8.43–$8.63 and Q2 2026 EPS to $2.02–$2.12.
• Insider activity was mixed: director David Maclennan bought 800 shares, while CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares earlier this year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equal to a 1.1% annualized yield.

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-one analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, sixteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $322.5294.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ECL. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan acquired 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $256.91 per share, for a total transaction of $205,528.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 24,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,224,929.30. This trade represents a 3.41% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $254.07 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $71.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $272.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $272.98. Ecolab has a twelve month low of $249.04 and a twelve month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Ecolab will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's payout ratio is 39.51%.

About Ecolab

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.

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