FY2026 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Lowered by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate for Ecolab to $8.24 from $8.30, slightly below the broader consensus estimate of $8.47 per share.
• Ecolab’s latest quarter beat revenue expectations, reporting $1.70 EPS in line with estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion versus the $4.03 billion expected, with revenue up 10% year over year.
• The company reaffirmed its FY2026 outlook of $8.43 to $8.63 EPS and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equal to a 1.0% yield.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) - Erste Group Bank reduced their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ecolab in a report released on Thursday, June 25th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings of $8.24 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $8.30. The consensus estimate for Ecolab's current full-year earnings is $8.47 per share.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. The firm'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.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on ECL. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.71.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $278.50 on Wednesday. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $261.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $271.91. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.38 billion, a PE ratio of 37.69, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $270,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $395,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $192,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

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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