Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target Raised to $352.00

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its price target hoisted by Jefferies Financial Group from $315.00 to $352.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

ECL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price objective on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.06.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $298.90 on Wednesday. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $306.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $274.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.55. The firm has a market cap of $84.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. This is a boost from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $240,676,000 after buying an additional 344,541 shares during the period. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 25.8% during the third quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. now owns 72,200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $19,773,000 after acquiring an additional 14,800 shares during the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 162.4% in the third quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 5,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,469,000 after acquiring an additional 3,320 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 20.5% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 66,656 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $18,254,000 after acquiring an additional 11,322 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service increased its position in Ecolab by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 597,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $163,744,000 after purchasing an additional 9,837 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Ecolab posted a slight EPS beat and provided FY‑2026 guidance (8.43–8.63 EPS), which supports forward earnings visibility. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: BNP Paribas Exane moved ECL to a “strong‑buy” (and earlier reaffirmed an outperform with a higher price target), adding buy‑side momentum around the name. Zacks – BNP Paribas upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Additional broker support: Evercore ISI issued a buy rating, and other analysts have raised targets (analyst commentary suggests fair values in the low‑to‑mid $300s), reinforcing upside narratives. Evercore ISI buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst fair‑value discussion: Coverage noted an average analyst view around US$317 post‑results, which frames where market participants expect ECL to trade over the medium term. Yahoo Finance – $317 analyst view
• Neutral Sentiment: Style/quant coverage: Zacks highlighted Ecolab as a top‑ranked growth/style pick, which may attract style‑focused funds but has limited immediate price impact. Zacks – Top‑ranked growth stock
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns on organic growth: Some analysts/commentary argue Ecolab’s organic growth wasn’t strong enough to fully justify upgrades, raising questions about the sustainability of the recent run. Seeking Alpha – organic growth critique

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.