Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Price Target Lowered to $345.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from $352.00 to $345.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 38.18% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $320.65.

Ecolab Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:ECL traded up $3.95 on Wednesday, reaching $249.68. The company had a trading volume of 1,133,955 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,446,291. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $265.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $271.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.27 billion, a PE ratio of 33.79, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, analysts expect that Ecolab will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Ecolab by 63.1% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $880,506,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 26,152.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 945,072 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $24,810,000 after buying an additional 941,472 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Ecolab by 58.8% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,243,825 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $596,902,000 after purchasing an additional 830,726 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.