Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 8.430-8.630 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 8.460. The company issued revenue guidance of $17.2 billion-$17.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $17.2 billion. Ecolab also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.670-1.730 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Evercore upgraded Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 target price on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.33.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL opened at $288.11 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $271.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $270.72. The company has a market capitalization of $81.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.40, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ecolab has a twelve month low of $221.62 and a twelve month high of $291.08.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.02. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.95%.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,989,868.04. This trade represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 88.7% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $77,000. Finally, Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 23.3% in the 3rd quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.