Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Cut to “Hold” at Erste Group Bank

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on ECL. Mizuho set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays lifted their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Citigroup upped their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $296.00.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE:ECL traded down $0.37 on Friday, hitting $281.11. The stock had a trading volume of 285,745 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,099,298. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $266.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $269.34. The stock has a market cap of $79.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $286.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.07. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 202.6% in the 2nd quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is 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.