Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock Price

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) had its target price hoisted by investment analysts at Citigroup from $315.00 to $324.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Citigroup’s target price points to a potential upside of 15.15% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Mizuho set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Erste Group Bank started coverage on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $296.00.

Ecolab Stock Up 3.1%

Ecolab stock traded up $8.36 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $281.36. 677,537 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,123,791. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.70. The firm has a market cap of $79.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.26, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a fifty day moving average of $266.05 and a 200 day moving average of $269.18. Ecolab has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $286.04.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.07. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.57 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ECL. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.3% in the second quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $807,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 7,534 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,030,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Portside Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 975 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.4% in the third quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,201 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. 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.