Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $296.00.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

Ecolab stock opened at $281.92 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $267.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $269.41. Ecolab has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $286.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. The company had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share 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 issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total transaction of $5,676,256.74. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $807,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 22.0% in the fourth quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the second quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 7,534 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,030,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Portside Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 975 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Company Profile

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.