Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock Rating Lowered by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Mizuho set a $315.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $296.00.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Ecolab stock traded down $0.37 during trading on Friday, reaching $281.11. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 285,745 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,099,298. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $286.04. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $266.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $269.34. The company has a market cap of $79.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.40, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.07. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of Ecolab 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 transaction, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Ecolab by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,190,115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,898,565,000 after acquiring an additional 527,902 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,479,529 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,469,019,000 after purchasing an additional 22,986 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $847,544,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 3.6% in the second quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 2,610,791 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $703,452,000 after purchasing an additional 90,005 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 9.0% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,497,626 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $674,497,000 after purchasing an additional 205,634 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.