Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target Raised to $352.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its target price increased by Jefferies Financial Group from $315.00 to $352.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

ECL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $319.50.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $303.18 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Ecolab has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $304.30. The business has a 50 day moving average of $272.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.14. The company has a market capitalization of $85.87 billion, a PE ratio of 41.65, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.81 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in Ecolab by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $240,676,000 after acquiring an additional 344,541 shares during the period. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 25.8% during the third quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. now owns 72,200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $19,773,000 after purchasing an additional 14,800 shares during the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 162.4% during the third quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 5,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,469,000 after purchasing an additional 3,320 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in Ecolab by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 66,656 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $18,254,000 after buying an additional 11,322 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service grew its position in Ecolab by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 597,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $163,744,000 after buying an additional 9,837 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and margin improvement: Ecolab reported adjusted Q4 EPS of $2.08 (beat) with margin expansion and revenue up ~4.8% y/y, giving the quarter a broadly positive read on profitability. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Above‑consensus FY‑2026 guidance: Management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.43–$8.63 and Q1 EPS of $1.67–$1.73, with revenue guidance roughly $17.2–$17.5B — guidance framed as conservative but implies continued margin-driven earnings growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Upbeat earnings call / confident 2026 outlook: Management commentary emphasized accelerating growth drivers (water, pest, life‑sciences) and margin leverage heading into 2026. The tone helped underpin investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst price‑target raises: Jefferies raised its PT to $352 (buy), RBC to $337 (outperform) and Wells Fargo to $310 — these uplifts and buy/outperform stances support further upside potential. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and comparisons: Industry writeups and a head‑to‑head review vs. Toray outline competitive positioning and long‑term drivers but are not near‑term catalysts. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Pre‑market weakness/uneven investor reaction: Some outlets noted the stock dipped in pre‑market trading despite the beat — investors are parsing revenue mix and near‑term volume recovery, producing mixed sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan keeps a neutral rating and a $295 target: Although JPMorgan raised its target from $265 to $295, it remains neutral and the $295 target is below current levels — a signal that not all sell‑side views are unequivocally bullish. Read More.

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.