Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Rating Increased to Outperform at Oppenheimer

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Oppenheimer from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $320.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. Oppenheimer’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 16.12% from the company’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.06.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $275.57 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $264.59 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.03. The company has a market cap of $77.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.29, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.89.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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, research analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s 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 approximately $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by 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.