Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong Sell”

Zacks Research lowered shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $324.06.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $264.05 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $265.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $273.12. The company has a market capitalization of $74.31 billion, a PE ratio of 35.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm 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%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business 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. Research analysts expect that Ecolab will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.