Robert W. Baird Cuts Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target to $296.00

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its target price lowered by Robert W. Baird from $320.00 to $296.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on ECL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.56.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $264.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $285.86 and a 200 day moving average of $273.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market cap of $74.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.97. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.