Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $323.5625.

A number of brokerages have commented on ECL. Erste Group Bank cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on Ecolab and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th.

Ecolab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab agreed to buy CoolIT Systems for $4.75 billion, adding liquid data?center cooling capabilities and scale in a high?growth end market — a strategic move that directly supports revenue diversification and the company’s long?term growth thesis. CoolIT sale to Ecolab
• Positive Sentiment: J.P. Morgan upgraded Ecolab to overweight (new $295 price target), citing improved pricing power and a strategic shift toward higher?growth businesses — an analyst endorsement that supports multiple expansion and investor confidence. J.P. Morgan upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reiterated its buy rating on Ecolab, reinforcing analyst support from another major shop and helping underpin sentiment following the strategic acquisition news. BMO keeps buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage and commentary highlight that data?center cooling demand should outlast the AI hardware cycle, supporting the logic behind the CoolIT deal and implying durable end?market growth for Ecolab’s expanded offerings. Data-center cooling demand article
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab appears on a Dividend Kings/Aristocrats roundup, which underscores its dividend pedigree but is not a direct catalyst for price moves. Dividend Kings and Aristocrats list
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird trimmed its price target from $320 to $296 (still an outperform rating), which slightly lowers street upside and could temper short?term gains despite the maintained positive view. Baird price target change

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $268.86 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $286.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.85. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company has a market cap of $75.93 billion, a PE ratio of 36.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.97.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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 research analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $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.