Erste Group Bank Brokers Lower Earnings Estimates for Ecolab

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jun 11th, 2026

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank lowered their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Ecolab in a note issued to investors on Friday, June 5th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the basic materials company will earn $8.30 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $8.40. The consensus estimate for Ecolab’s current full-year earnings is $8.48 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Ecolab’s FY2027 earnings at $9.56 EPS.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $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.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on ECL. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America raised their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.41.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ECL

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $256.72 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.90. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $261.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $271.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ECL. Rathbones Group PLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 309,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $82,227,000 after purchasing an additional 4,138 shares in the last quarter. Farmers National Bank increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 9,966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,651,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. DV Trading LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth about $245,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,676,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at about $290,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

About Ecolab

(Get Free Report)

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.