Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives $327.56 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $327.5556.

ECL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective 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. Zacks Research cut Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.9%

NYSE ECL opened at $287.03 on Tuesday. Ecolab has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $276.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.69. The stock has a market cap of $80.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly 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 position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock valued at $7,878,801 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $395,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC increased its position in Ecolab by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $192,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Studio Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 3,576 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $999,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. 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.