Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $248.75 and last traded at $250.1030, with a volume of 158045 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $251.10.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Bank of America raised their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 price target (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.53.

Ecolab Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $268.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $272.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.12 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.92.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% in the 4th 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $880,506,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its holdings in Ecolab by 26,152.0% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 945,072 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $24,810,000 after buying an additional 941,472 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Ecolab by 58.8% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,243,825 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $596,902,000 after buying an additional 830,726 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.