Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.670-1.730 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.690. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Ecolab also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.430-8.630 EPS.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.6%

ECL traded up $1.91 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $305.46. 457,609 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,236,465. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $306.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $272.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the prior year, the company earned $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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup upped their price objective on Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 price target (up previously from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $319.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and guidance: Ecolab beat on adjusted EPS and management signaled a confident profit push and accelerated EPS growth outlook for 2026 — this is the core catalyst for the stock lift. Ecolab Shares Rise As Q4 Earnings, Revenue Edge Past Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $352 and kept a Buy rating — a sizable upside view that likely supports further buying interest. Article
• Positive Sentiment: BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an Outperform rating and lifted its target to $345, adding to the consensus of higher targets post‑earnings. Article
• Positive Sentiment: RBC boosted its target to $337 and kept an Outperform rating — another institutional upgrade backing the stock. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and summaries (TipRanks, Seeking Alpha) highlight margin expansion, accelerating growth engines and the strategic contribution from Ovivo — supporting medium‑term earnings upside. Ecolab Earnings Call Signals Confident 2026 Profit Push
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call & transcripts: Full Q4 call transcripts and investor presentation are available for drill‑down (useful for longs but no new surprises reported in most transcripts). Ecolab Inc. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative/analysis pieces (head‑to‑head with Toray, “what recent developments mean”) summarize competitive positioning — useful context but not immediate catalysts. Head to Head Review: Ecolab and Toray Industries
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan set a $295 target and neutral rating (target below the current price), which could cap upside for more conservative investors and provide selling pressure for momentum traders. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Some pre‑market/near‑term headlines noted a pullback despite the beat — indicating that short‑term profit‑taking and mixed views on near‑term volume trends remain risks. ECL Stock Falls in Pre-Market Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Margins Expand

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Nuveen LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 1,373,717 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $360,628,000 after buying an additional 56,010 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.0% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,159,965 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $313,590,000 after acquiring an additional 33,700 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 794,633 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $212,641,000 after acquiring an additional 3,247 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 782,870 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $213,637,000 after purchasing an additional 55,500 shares during the period. Finally, Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% in the third quarter. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. now owns 732,967 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $200,730,000 after purchasing an additional 5,815 shares in the last quarter. 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.