FY2027 EPS Estimates for Ecolab Lowered by Erste Group Bank

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for Ecolab in a research note issued to investors on Friday, September 18th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the basic materials company will post earnings of $9.36 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $9.38. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $8.17 per share.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.89 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on ECL. Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho upped their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup increased their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $276.27 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $277.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $270.50. The stock has a market cap of $77.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECL. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after buying an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $244,381,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,472,599,000 after buying an additional 46,569 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,022,334,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company’s offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.