Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its price objective increased by Jefferies Financial Group from $315.00 to $352.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.00% from the stock’s current price.

ECL has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays raised their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore upgraded shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $319.50.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $300.87 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $85.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $273.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.35. Ecolab has a one year low of $221.62 and a one year high of $306.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.33.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced 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. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ECL. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $395,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the period. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.3% during the second quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $807,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages raised price targets and/or reiterated favorable ratings, signaling analyst confidence in upside (Jefferies raised its target to $352 with a “buy”; BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed “outperform” at $345; RBC raised to $337; Wells Fargo to $310). These upgrades support further upside potential. Analyst Moves
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings: Ecolab slightly beat EPS expectations (reported $2.08 vs. $2.07 est.), posted revenue growth (~4.8% y/y) and set FY2026 and Q1 guidance — results that helped the stock hit a new 1-year high earlier this week. Earnings / 1-Year High
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors seeking management detail on growth drivers, margins and guidance execution; useful for assessing whether management can deliver the guided EPS range. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage and broader analyses (head-to-head with Toray, and a Yahoo/analysis piece on recent developments) provide context but don’t change the core thesis — they’re useful for relative valuation and competitive positioning checks. Comparative Review What Recent Developments Mean
• Negative Sentiment: A critical view from Seeking Alpha argues Ecolab lacks sufficient organic growth to justify upgrades — a narrative that can weigh on sentiment, especially given the stock’s recent run. Seeking Alpha Critique
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and positioning risks: Ecolab trades at a premium (high PE ~41, PEG ~2.6) and volume spiked above average — factors that can prompt near-term profit-taking if growth catalysts disappoint or guidance execution falters. Valuation Note

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.