Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Given “Outperform” Rating at Royal Bank Of Canada

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $337.00 target price on the basic materials company’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 18.79% from the stock’s previous close.

ECL has been the subject of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.71.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.69 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $79.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $262.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $272.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last 90 days. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hilltop National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 831 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. First County Bank CT boosted its stake in Ecolab by 7.0% during the second quarter. First County Bank CT now owns 1,464 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $408,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. First Financial Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.1% during the second quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 22,963 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,398,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Adelphi Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 10.5% in the 2nd quarter. Adelphi Trust Co now owns 2,468 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $688,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank increased its stake in Ecolab by 3.7% in the second quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 134,854 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,571,000 after acquiring an additional 4,807 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

About Ecolab

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.