FY2026 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Lowered by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2026 earnings estimates for Ecolab in a report released on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings per share of $8.50 for the year, down from their previous forecast of $8.52. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $7.54 per share.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on ECL. Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $264.14 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $285.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.78. The company has a market cap of $74.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.97. Ecolab has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 944,864 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $248,131,000 after buying an additional 7,623 shares during the period. Stance Capital LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Stance Capital LLC now owns 5,345 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,403,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 127,456 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,469,000 after acquiring an additional 15,955 shares during the period. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 13,363 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,508,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 value 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. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.11%.

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.