Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting Ecolab Stock Will Climb or Sink?

Ecolab Inc. (ECL), headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. With a market cap of $81 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 outperformed the broader market over the past year. ECL has gained 14.8% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 13.3%. In 2025, ECL’s stock rose 20.8%, surpassing the SPX’s 8.3% rise on a YTD basis.

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Zooming in further, ECL’s outperformance is also apparent compared to the Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 9.5% over the past year. Moreover, ECL’s returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 16.4% gains over the same time frame.www.barchart.com

Ecolab is outperforming due to its strategic acquisition of Ovivo's Electronics business, which specializes in ultra-pure water technologies for semiconductor manufacturing. This move will enhance Ecolab's high-tech growth by combining Ovivo's technologies with its own water solutions and digital capabilities, enabling more efficient and sustainable water management for microelectronics customers.

On Jul. 29, ECL shares closed down by 3.9% after reporting its Q2 results. Its adjusted EPS of $1.89 missed Wall Street expectations of $1.90. The company’s revenue was $4.03 billion, surpassing Wall Street forecasts of $4.01 billion. The company expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $7.42 to $7.62.

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 26 analysts covering ECL stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Buy.” That’s based on 12 “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” and 12 “Holds.”www.barchart.com

This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with 11 analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”

Story Continues

On Aug. 20, RBC Capital analyst Ashish Sabadra reiterated a “Buy” rating on ECL and set a price target of $294, implying a potential upside of 3.9% from current levels.

While ECL currently trades above its mean price target of $281.90, the Street-high price target of $315 suggests an 11.3% upside potential.

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. This article was originally published on Barchart.com

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