Ecolab FY2026 EPS Forecast Reduced by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank cut their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ecolab in a report issued on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will post earnings of $8.50 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.52. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $7.54 per share.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 target price on Ecolab and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $264.14 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $285.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.08. Ecolab has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.97.

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 the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last 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.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.