Erste Group Bank Reduces Earnings Estimates for Ecolab

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank modestly lowered Ecolab’s FY2027 EPS estimate to $9.35 from $9.40, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $324.06.
• Ecolab’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $2.09 and revenue of $4.42 billion, up 9.7% year over year. The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $8.05–$8.25.
• Near-term guidance was cautious: Ecolab forecast third-quarter EPS of $2.13–$2.23, below the $2.27 analyst consensus, despite shares trading up 4.5% and the company continuing to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ecolab in a report issued on Monday, July 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will earn $9.35 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $9.40. The consensus estimate for Ecolab's current full-year earnings is $8.18 per share.

ECL has been the subject of several other research reports. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $324.06.

Ecolab Trading Up 4.5%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.49 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.36, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $267.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $273.30. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 $4.39 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.09, above the $2.08 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion, also exceeding expectations. Adjusted EPS increased 11% from the prior-year period. Ecolab Q2 results and outlook
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $8.05-$8.25, representing expected growth of 7%-10%. Management cited better pricing, volume growth, productivity gains and accelerating organic sales, including particularly strong performance in High-Tech and Life Sciences. Ecolab beats Q2 estimates and raises outlook
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair analyst Tim Mulrooney reiterated a Buy rating after the earnings beat, citing the raised outlook and improving margins. This reinforces a constructive analyst view of ECL’s earnings trajectory. William Blair Buy rating
• Negative Sentiment: Ecolab’s third-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $2.13-$2.23 is below the $2.27 analyst consensus, suggesting near-term earnings expectations may be too high despite the full-year outlook increase.
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2027 EPS estimate to $9.35 from $9.40. The cut is modest, but it signals slightly reduced longer-term earnings expectations. Ecolab analyst estimate update

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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