Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Rating Increased to Buy at Berenberg Bank

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was upgraded by investment analysts at Berenberg Bank from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $326.00 target price on the basic materials company’s stock. Berenberg Bank’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 18.93% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price target on Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ecolab from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Erste Group Bank downgraded Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.71.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $274.12 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The stock has a market cap of $77.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.65, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s 50 day moving average is $287.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $274.46.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The company’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business 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, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.