Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $278.45 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $278.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $272.66. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Ecolab will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly 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. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 26,161.1% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 129,279,498 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,018,561,000 after buying an additional 128,787,212 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at approximately $6,422,340,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth $244,381,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Ecolab by 63.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $1,022,334,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company’s offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.