Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seventeen have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $323.4118.

Several brokerages have weighed in on ECL. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $256.72 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $72.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.74, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $261.07 and a 200 day moving average of $271.33. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during 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%.Ecolab’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period 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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

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.