Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $309.27 and last traded at $307.5760, with a volume of 87417 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $305.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.41 billion, a PE ratio of 42.20, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $281.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $273.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The company had revenue of $4.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab’s quarterly 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 expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during 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 period. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $880,506,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,591,274 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $417,747,000 after buying an additional 813,996 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,413,099 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $370,967,000 after buying an additional 557,555 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.