Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Upgraded at BNP Paribas Exane

BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price target on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho set a $335.00 target price on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore raised shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.06.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $298.90 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $84.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $306.52. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $274.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.55. 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 data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $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. Research analysts expect that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Ecolab posted a slight EPS beat and provided FY‑2026 guidance (8.43–8.63 EPS), which supports forward earnings visibility. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: BNP Paribas Exane moved ECL to a “strong‑buy” (and earlier reaffirmed an outperform with a higher price target), adding buy‑side momentum around the name. Zacks – BNP Paribas upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Additional broker support: Evercore ISI issued a buy rating, and other analysts have raised targets (analyst commentary suggests fair values in the low‑to‑mid $300s), reinforcing upside narratives. Evercore ISI buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst fair‑value discussion: Coverage noted an average analyst view around US$317 post‑results, which frames where market participants expect ECL to trade over the medium term. Yahoo Finance – $317 analyst view
• Neutral Sentiment: Style/quant coverage: Zacks highlighted Ecolab as a top‑ranked growth/style pick, which may attract style‑focused funds but has limited immediate price impact. Zacks – Top‑ranked growth stock
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns on organic growth: Some analysts/commentary argue Ecolab’s organic growth wasn’t strong enough to fully justify upgrades, raising questions about the sustainability of the recent run. Seeking Alpha – organic growth critique

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.