Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Sets New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $248.75 and last traded at $250.1030, with a volume of 158045 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $251.10.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Erste Group Bank cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.53.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $270.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $272.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $70.78 billion, a PE ratio of 34.01, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.92.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th 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 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 800 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $256.91 per share, with a total value of $205,528.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 24,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,224,929.30. The trade was a 3.41% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 164.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $867,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 22.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $314,000 after buying an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,684,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in Ecolab by 49.4% during the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $15,741,000 after acquiring an additional 19,324 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.