Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives $324.06 Average Target Price from Analysts

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $324.0556.

ECL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE ECL opened at $268.73 on Friday. Ecolab has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The stock has a market cap of $75.63 billion, a PE ratio of 36.36, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $266.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $273.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 8.18 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.