Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Ecolab reported EPS of $1.70, matching estimates, with revenue of $4.07 billion (up 10% year-over-year), and updated its FY2026 guidance to 8.430–8.630 EPS and Q2 2026 to 2.020–2.120 EPS.
• Shares traded down about 2% to $262.59 after the report; the company has a market cap of $74.16 billion, a P/E of 36.14, and a consensus analyst price target of $322.82 (average rating "Moderate Buy").
• CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares at an average of $307.37—reducing his ownership by 18.05%—and company insiders now own roughly 0.50% of the stock.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.02 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 2.020-2.120 EPS.

Ecolab Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NYSE:ECL traded down $5.29 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $262.59. The stock had a trading volume of 193,926 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,382,291. The company has a market cap of $74.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.14, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.02. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $240.92 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $278.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Greenline Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $322.82.

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.

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