FY2027 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Lifted by Erste Group Bank

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 EPS estimate for Ecolab to $9.36 from $9.35, above the current full-year consensus estimate of $8.17.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, with revenue up 9.7% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $327.56.
• Institutional investors own 74.91% of Ecolab, while the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to a 1.0% yield and a 39.19% payout ratio.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank increased their FY2027 earnings estimates for Ecolab in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 5th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $9.36 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $9.35. The consensus estimate for Ecolab's current full-year earnings is $8.17 per share.

ECL has been the topic of a number of other reports. Mizuho upped their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings cut Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $284.54 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $273.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $79.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.19, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Ecolab by 63.1% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $880,506,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at $413,381,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given 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, September 15th. Ecolab's payout ratio is 39.19%.

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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