Ecolab Inc. (ECL), headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. With a market cap of $75.6 billion, the company's services include food safety, sanitation, optimization of water and energy use, improvement of operational efficiency and sustainability.
Shares of this global leader in the cleaning and sanitation industry have underperformed the broader market over the past year. ECL has gained 9.7% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 11%. However, in 2025, ECL’s stock rose 14%, surpassing the SPX’s 12.3% rise on a YTD basis.
Narrowing the focus, ECL’s outperformance is apparent compared to the Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 4.6% over the past year. Moreover, ECL’s returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 12.2% gains over the same time frame.
On Oct. 28, ECL shares closed down more than 4% after reporting its Q3 results. Its adjusted EPS of $2.07 exceeded Wall Street expectations of $2.06. The company’s revenue was $4.2 billion, beating Wall Street's $4.1 billion forecast. The company expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $7.48 to $7.58.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect ECL’s EPS to grow 13.1% to $7.52 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 27 analysts covering ECL stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 13 “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” and 12 “Holds.”
This configuration is more bullish than two months ago, with 12 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Nov. 11, Eric Boyes from Evercore ISI maintained a “Buy” rating on ECL with a price target of $300, implying a potential upside of 12.3% from current levels.
The mean price target of $294 represents a 10.1% premium to ECL’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $325 suggests a notable upside potential of 21.7%.
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.
More news from Barchart
- GDP, Retail Sales and Other Can't Miss Items this Week
- Chevron's Latest 5-Yr Plan Implies a Major Dividend Hike - CXX Stock Looks Cheap
- Wall Street Is Betting on a Nuclear Renaissance. Here Are the 3 Top-Rated Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy Now.
- The Saturday Spread: Using Data Science to Pick Out the Most Compelling Discounts (NVO, SOFI, FAST)
