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Ecolab (ECL) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Ecolab logo
$238.29 +2.76 (+1.17%)
(As of 12/20/2024 05:31 PM ET)

Ecolab - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
7
Buy
10

Based on 17 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Ecolab in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 17 analysts, 7 have given a hold rating, and 10 have given a buy rating for ECL.

Consensus Price Target

$280.60
17.76% Upside
According to the 17 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Ecolab, the average price target is $280.60. The highest price target for ECL is $310.00, while the lowest price target for ECL is $250.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 17.76% from the current price of $238.29.
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ECL Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
12/23/23 to 12/22/24
1 Month Ago
11/23/23 to 11/22/24
3 Months Ago
9/24/23 to 9/23/24
1 Year Ago
12/23/22 to 12/23/23
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
10 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
Hold
7 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
6 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$280.60$279.87$262.21$195.67
Forecasted Upside17.76% Upside14.09% Upside2.86% Upside-0.99% Downside
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Hold

ECL Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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ECL Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
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Ecolab Stock vs. The Competition

TypeEcolabBasic Materials CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
2.59
2.76
2.51
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside17.76% Upside139.04% Upside14.53% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent ECL News
Neutral News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
12/17/2024BMO Capital Markets
4 of 5 stars
J. Mcnulty
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UpgradeMarket Perform ➝ Outperform$279.00 ➝ $290.00+16.75%
11/18/2024Barclays
3 of 5 stars
 Boost TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$260.00 ➝ $300.00+21.70%
11/4/2024UBS Group
4 of 5 stars
J. Spector
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral$276.00 ➝ $276.00+12.85%
10/30/2024JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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 Boost TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$228.00 ➝ $255.00+0.21%
10/30/2024Royal Bank of Canada
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 Reiterated RatingOutperform ➝ Outperform$306.00 ➝ $306.00+20.25%
10/30/2024Morgan Stanley
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 Boost TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$240.00 ➝ $263.00+3.64%
10/30/2024Robert W. Baird
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 Boost TargetNeutral ➝ Neutral$271.00 ➝ $279.00+9.95%
10/18/2024Wells Fargo & Company
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J. Haas
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Reiterated RatingMarket Perform ➝ Market Perform
10/18/2024Jefferies Financial Group
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Laurence Alexander
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UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$235.00 ➝ $310.00+20.59%
9/26/2024Piper Sandler
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 Boost TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$270.00 ➝ $305.00+19.69%
7/31/2024Bank of America
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 UpgradeNeutral ➝ Buy$251.00 ➝ $272.00+18.85%
7/31/2024Citigroup
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P. Cunningham
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UpgradeNeutral ➝ Buy$267.00 ➝ $265.00+15.79%
7/8/2024Stifel Nicolaus
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 UpgradeHold ➝ Buy$233.00 ➝ $283.00+18.81%
4/12/2024Mizuho
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 UpgradeNeutral ➝ Buy$216.00 ➝ $260.00+17.78%
4/3/2024Raymond James
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 Boost TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$230.00 ➝ $250.00+9.62%
3/1/2024Wolfe Research
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 Initiated CoveragePeer Perform
1/8/2024Seaport Res Ptn
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M. Harrison
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DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral
9/20/2023Evercore ISI
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 Boost Target$170.00 ➝ $195.00+10.60%
9/1/2023Berenberg Bank
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 Initiated CoverageHold$180.00-2.07%
7/5/2023Northcoast Research
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 DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral
5/3/2023VNET Group
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 Reiterated RatingMaintains
5/3/2023Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft
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 Boost Target$164.00 ➝ $182.00+2.64%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Sunday at 06:30 PM ET.


Should I Buy Ecolab Stock? ECL Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Friday, December 13, 2024. Please send any questions or comments about these Ecolab pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Ecolab
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Ecolab Inc.:

  • Ecolab Inc. has shown strong financial performance, reporting a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.83, which exceeded analysts' expectations by $0.01. This indicates the company's ability to generate profit effectively.
  • The stock price of Ecolab Inc. is currently at $250.34, reflecting a recent increase of 1.0%. A rising stock price can signal investor confidence and potential for future growth.
  • Institutional investors are actively increasing their stakes in Ecolab Inc., with 74.91% of the stock owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. This trend often indicates strong market confidence in the company's future prospects.
  • Analysts have a positive outlook on Ecolab Inc., with several brokerages raising their target prices, including Barclays, which increased its target from $260.00 to $300.00, suggesting potential for further stock appreciation.
  • The company has a solid market capitalization of $70.89 billion, which provides stability and resources for growth initiatives, making it an attractive option for long-term investors.

Ecolab
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in Ecolab Inc. for these reasons:

  • Insider selling has been significant, with major shareholder William H. Gates III selling over 409,000 shares recently. High levels of insider selling can raise concerns about the company's future performance and may indicate a lack of confidence from those closest to the company.
  • The company reported revenue of $4 billion for the last quarter, which fell short of analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Missing revenue targets can be a red flag for investors regarding the company's growth trajectory.
  • Despite a strong EPS, the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 35.11, which is relatively high. A high P/E ratio can suggest that the stock is overvalued compared to its earnings, potentially leading to a price correction.
  • Market volatility and economic uncertainties can impact Ecolab Inc.'s performance, especially in the basic materials sector, which is sensitive to changes in demand and pricing.
  • With a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, while manageable, it indicates that the company does carry some debt, which could pose risks if interest rates rise or if the company faces cash flow challenges.

ECL Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 17 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Ecolab is $280.60, with a high forecast of $310.00 and a low forecast of $250.00.

17 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Ecolab in the last year. There are currently 7 hold ratings and 10 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" ECL shares.

According to analysts, Ecolab's stock has a predicted upside of 17.76% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Ecolab's stock had 2 upgrades and 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like Ecolab less than other "basic materials" companies. The consensus rating score for Ecolab is 2.59 while the average consensus rating score for "basic materials" companies is 2.76. Learn more on how ECL compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:ECL) was last updated on 12/22/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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