Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock Price Breaks Above 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Ecolab shares rose above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $278.13 versus the $270.36 average. The stock’s average analyst rating is “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $327.56.
• Ecolab’s latest quarterly results slightly exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $2.09 and revenue of $4.42 billion, up 9.7% year over year. Management issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.92 and a 1.1% yield. CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares, while institutional investors own nearly 75% of the stock.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $270.36 and traded as high as $278.13. Ecolab shares last traded at $275.2070, with a volume of 1,502,115 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup upped their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. 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 stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $77.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $278.94 and a 200-day moving average of $270.36.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings 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 valued at $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at $1,022,334,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,617,425 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,007,851,000 after purchasing an additional 51,712 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi grew its position in Ecolab by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,412,057 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $641,609,000 after purchasing an additional 88,096 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc NYSE: ECL is a global provider of water, hygiene, infection prevention and related services. The company helps businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations through specialized products, technologies, equipment and on-site expertise.

Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing solutions, water treatment and process-management systems, food safety programs, infection prevention products, pest elimination services and solutions for industrial operations. Ecolab serves customers in industries including hospitality, healthcare, food and beverage production, life sciences, manufacturing, energy, retail and institutional services.

The company was founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory and adopted the Ecolab name in 1986.

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