Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 2.130-2.230 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.270. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $324.06.

Ecolab Trading Up 4.6%

Shares of ECL stock traded up $12.49 on Tuesday, reaching $283.87. 267,255 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,485,571. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $79.89 billion, a PE ratio of 38.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.89. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $267.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.19. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 8.18 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 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 presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter sales rose 10% year over year to approximately $4.4 billion, while organic sales growth accelerated to 5%. Adjusted diluted EPS increased 11% to $2.09, narrowly exceeding the $2.08 consensus estimate. Ecolab earnings release
• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $8.05-$8.25, representing expected growth of 7% to 10%. Operating income rose 7% to $757.9 million, and the company repurchased about 1.2 million shares during the quarter. Ecolab Q2 sales report
• Positive Sentiment: Growth was particularly strong in the Global High-Tech and Life Sciences businesses, where organic sales increased 29% and 15%, respectively. Management said volume growth, pricing, and productivity offset higher commodity costs and Middle East-related disruptions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported diluted EPS was $1.90, up 3%, while adjusted diluted EPS benefited from adjustments and rose 11%. Reported net income increased a more modest 2% to $534.9 million, an important distinction for investors assessing earnings quality.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $2.13-$2.23 is below the analyst consensus of $2.27. The below-consensus forecast may weigh on the stock despite the quarterly beat and higher full-year outlook. Ecolab beats estimates and raises outlook

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Greenline Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.