Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

ECL has been the subject of several other reports. 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 research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Mizuho raised their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.3%

ECL stock opened at $278.45 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $278.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $272.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.38, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company’s offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.