Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Rating Increased to Buy at Berenberg Bank

Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $326.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock.

ECL has been the topic of several other reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho set a $335.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.71.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $273.29 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market cap of $77.06 billion, a PE ratio of 37.54, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.97. The company’s fifty day moving average is $287.31 and its 200 day moving average is $274.41. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.20 billion during 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 company’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business 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 anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 40.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.5% in the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $240,676,000 after acquiring an additional 344,541 shares in the last quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 25.8% during the third quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. now owns 72,200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $19,773,000 after acquiring an additional 14,800 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 20.5% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 66,656 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $18,254,000 after acquiring an additional 11,322 shares in the last quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions grew its holdings in Ecolab by 19.9% in the third quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 83,379 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $22,834,000 after purchasing an additional 13,840 shares during the period. Finally, McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 162.4% during the third quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 5,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,469,000 after purchasing an additional 3,320 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.