Ecolab Inc. (ECL), headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. With a market cap of $69.2 billion, the company's services include food safety, sanitation, optimization of water and energy use, improvement of operational efficiency and sustainability.
Shares of this global leader in the cleaning and sanitation industry have underperformed the broader market over the past year. ECL has declined 5.2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 25.1%. In 2026, ECL’s stock fell 5.3%, compared to the SPX’s 8.6% rise on a YTD basis.
Narrowing the focus, ECL’s underperformance is apparent compared to the Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA). The exchange-traded fund has declined marginally over the past year. Moreover, the ETF’s 1.5% dip on a YTD basis outshine ECL’s losses over the same time frame.
On Apr. 28, ECL reported its Q1 results, and its shares closed down by 3.9% in the following trading session. Its adjusted EPS of $1.70 met Wall Street expectations. The company’s revenue was $4.1 billion, exceeding Wall Street forecasts of $4 billion. The company expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $8.43 to $8.63.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect ECL’s EPS to grow 12.9% to $8.50 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat or matched the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 28 analysts covering ECL stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 16 “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” and 10 “Holds.”
This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with 15 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On May 20, Manav Patnaik from Barclays PLC (BCS) maintained a “Buy” rating on ECL, with a price target of $300, implying a potential upside of 20.7% from current levels.
The mean price target of $318.19 represents a 28% premium to ECL’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $352 suggests a notable upside potential of 41.6%.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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