FY2027 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Lifted by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2027 earnings estimates for shares of Ecolab in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 5th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $9.36 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $9.35. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $8.17 per share.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.89 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $284.54 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $79.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.19, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s 50 day moving average is $273.40 and its 200 day moving average is $273.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,649,026,000 after acquiring an additional 137,578 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 63.1% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its position in Ecolab by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,883,084 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,069,468,000 after purchasing an additional 441,747 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,472,599,000 after purchasing an additional 46,569 shares during the period. 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.