Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target Raised to $295.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $265.00 to $295.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target suggests a potential downside of 2.38% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ECL. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $317.80.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE:ECL traded up $2.57 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $302.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 836,564 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,244,548. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $271.71 and a 200-day moving average of $270.92. The company has a market capitalization of $85.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $303.01.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.81 earnings per share. 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, equities analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 28.7% in the 4th quarter. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC now owns 29,302 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $7,692,000 after purchasing an additional 6,537 shares during the period. Stonebrook Private Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Stonebrook Private Inc. now owns 1,863 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $489,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $588,000. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 282,705 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $74,216,000 after acquiring an additional 12,043 shares during the period. Finally, Erste Asset Management GmbH grew its stake in shares of Ecolab by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $43,464,000 after acquiring an additional 3,500 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and margin expansion — adjusted EPS of $2.08 topped estimates and management highlighted improved margins and segment growth, supporting upside expectations. Earnings/Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish guidance for FY‑2026 and Q1 — company issued FY EPS guidance above many prior street forecasts and Q1 guidance slightly above consensus, which investors view as a sign of confidence in demand recovery. Reuters: Forecasts Above Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price‑target increases — Royal Bank of Canada raised its target to $337 and kept an Outperform, while Wells Fargo lifted its target to $310 (Equal Weight), signaling renewed analyst confidence. Benzinga: Analyst Raises
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and buy-side commentary mixed — William Blair maintained a Buy, and multiple transcripts/notes (earnings call, Seeking Alpha, TipRanks) provide detail but reflect both optimism on margins and caution on near‑term volumes. TipRanks: Analyst Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed consensus and some pre‑market weakness surfaced despite the EPS beat — that suggests investors are parsing growth/volume recovery timing and are sensitive to any topline softness. Zacks: Pre‑Market Reaction

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.