ECL Stock Analysis: Ecolab | NYSE

Specialty Chemicals | NYSE, USA | Market Cap: 78.556m USD | 12M Return: 2.9% | US2788651006 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis

Water Treatment, Cleaning Sanitizing, Pest Elimination, Infection Prevention
Total Rating 55
Safety 84
Buy Signal -0.35
Specialty Chemicals
Industry Rotation: +0.9
Market Cap: 78.6B
Avg Turnover: 320M
Risk 3d forecast
Volatility18.0%
VaR 5th Pctl3.05%
VaR vs Median2.58%
Reward TTM
Sharpe Ratio0.05
Rel. Str. IBD45.8
Rel. Str. Peer Group26.3
Character TTM
Beta0.375
Beta Downside0.401
Hurst Exponent0.562
Drawdowns 3y
Max DD20.09%
CAGR/Max DD1.01
CAGR/Mean DD4.13
EPS (Earnings per Share) EPS (Earnings per Share) of ECL over the last years for every Quarter: "2021-09": 1.38, "2021-12": 1.28, "2022-03": 0.82, "2022-06": 1.1, "2022-09": 1.3, "2022-12": 1.27, "2023-03": 0.88, "2023-06": 1.24, "2023-09": 1.54, "2023-12": 1.55, "2024-03": 1.34, "2024-06": 1.68, "2024-09": 1.83, "2024-12": 1.81, "2025-03": 1.5, "2025-06": 1.89, "2025-09": 2.07, "2025-12": 2.08, "2026-03": 1.7, "2026-06": 2.09,
EPS CAGR: 18.23%
EPS Trend: 97.9%
Last SUE: 1.34
Qual. Beats: 1
Revenue Revenue of ECL over the last years for every Quarter: 2021-09: 3320.8, 2021-12: 3364.6, 2022-03: 3266.7, 2022-06: 3580.6, 2022-09: 3669.3, 2022-12: 3671.2, 2023-03: 3571.6, 2023-06: 3852.1, 2023-09: 3958.1, 2023-12: 3938.4, 2024-03: 3751.9, 2024-06: 3985.8, 2024-09: 3998.5, 2024-12: 4005.2, 2025-03: 3695, 2025-06: 4025.2, 2025-09: 4165, 2025-12: 4196, 2026-03: 4066.1, 2026-06: 4415.4,
Rev. CAGR: 3.16%
Rev. Trend: 92.9%
Last SUE: 0.86
Qual. Beats: 4

Warnings

Below Avwap Earnings

Tailwinds

No distinct edge detected

Seasonality 11.7 years of data

Jan +0.8% 8
Feb +2.1% 20
Mar +0.4% 17
Apr +1.1% 2
May -0.4% 8
Jun +0.3% 10
Jul -2.2% 33
Aug +2.6% 34
Sep -3.1% 42
Oct -4.7% 32
Nov +2.0% 12
Dec -1.2% 12

How good or bad each month usually is (without trend). The score below shows how much you can trust it: 0 = pure chance, >40 gets interesting and >55 is strong.

Description: ECL Ecolab

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is a U.S.-based provider of water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services, operating across four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences. Its customer base spans a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, food and beverage, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, and primary metals and mining. The company distributes its products through field sales personnel, corporate accounts, distributors, and dealers, and markets them under brands such as Ecolab, Kay, Purolite, and Bioquell.

Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Ecolab operates within the specialty chemicals subsector of the broader Materials sector. Its business model centers on supplying consumable chemicals, equipment, and service contracts-often on a recurring basis-to commercial and industrial customers, which tends to generate relatively stable, repeat revenue streams tied to customer operating volumes.

Headlines to Watch Out For
  • Industrial water treatment demand tracks global manufacturing activity
  • Healthcare and foodservice sales lift institutional segment growth
  • Raw material and energy costs pressure specialty chemicals margins
Piotroski VR-10 (Strict) 6.0
Net Income: 2.12b TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue
FCF/TA: 0.06 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -0.37 > 1.0
NWC/Revenue: 29.88% < 20% (prev 13.78%; Δ 16.10% < -1%)
CFO/TA 0.10 > 3% & CFO 3.06b > Net Income 2.12b
Net Debt (9.36b) to EBITDA (3.92b): 2.39 < 3
Current Ratio: 1.84 > 1.5 & < 3
Outstanding Shares: last quarter (282.9m) vs 12m ago -0.88% < -2%
Gross Margin: 44.11% > 18% (prev 43.97%; Δ 0.15% > 0.5%)
Asset Turnover: 62.77% > 50% (prev 66.24%; Δ -3.47% > 0%)
Interest Coverage Ratio: 9.55 > 6 (EBIT TTM 2.89b / Interest Expense TTM 302.9m)
Altman Z'' 3.82
A: 0.17 (Total Current Assets 11.0b - Total Current Liabilities 5.99b) / Total Assets 29.9b
B: 0.45 (Retained Earnings 13.4b / Total Assets 29.9b)
C: 0.11 (EBIT TTM 2.89b / Avg Total Assets 26.8b)
D: 0.51 (Book Value of Equity 10.1b / Total Liabilities 19.8b)
Altman-Z'' = 3.82 = AA
Beneish M -3.04
DSRI: 1.00 (Receivables 3.45b/3.24b, Revenue 16.8b/15.7b)
GMI: 1.00 (GM 43.97% / 44.11%)
AQI: 0.91 (AQ_t 0.46 / AQ_t-1 0.50)
SGI: 1.07 (Revenue 16.8b / 15.7b)
TATA: -0.03 (NI 2.12b - CFO 3.06b) / TA 29.9b)
Beneish M = -3.04 (Cap -4..+1) = AA
What is the price of ECL shares?

As of September 30, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 277.87 with a total of 1,107,296 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +0.60%, over one month by -1.62%, over three months by +0.00% and over the past year by +2.93%.

Current recommended Stop Loss: 265.60 (which is 4.4% or 2.3 ATR below the current price).

Is ECL a buy, sell or hold?

Ecolab has received a consensus analysts rating of 4.19. Therefore, it is recommended to buy ECL.

  • StrongBuy: 13
  • Buy: 6
  • Hold: 8
  • Sell: 0
  • StrongSell: 0

What are the forecasts/targets for the ECL price?
Analysts Target Price 325 16.9%
Ecolab (ECL) - Fundamental Data Overview as of 30 September 2026
Market Cap USD = 78.6b (78.6b USD * 1.0 USD.USD)
P/E Trailing = 37.5643
P/E Forward = 29.6736
P/S = 4.6642
P/B = 7.7144
P/EG = 2.4937
Revenue TTM = 16.8b USD
EBIT TTM = 2.89b USD
EBITDA TTM = 3.92b USD
Long Term Debt = 11.9b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 1.27b USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 14.5b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 742.6m
Net Debt = 9.36b USD (calculated: Debt 14.5b - CCE 5.14b)
Enterprise Value = 87.9b USD (78.6b + Debt 14.5b - CCE 5.14b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 9.55 (Ebit TTM 2.89b / Interest Expense TTM 302.9m)
EV/FCF = 46.90x (Enterprise Value 87.9b / FCF TTM 1.87b)
FCF Yield = 2.13% (FCF TTM 1.87b / Enterprise Value 87.9b)
FCF Margin = 11.13% (FCF TTM 1.87b / Revenue TTM 16.8b)
Net Margin = 12.57% (Net Income TTM 2.12b / Revenue TTM 16.8b)
Gross Margin = 44.11% ((Revenue TTM 16.8b - Cost of Revenue TTM 9.41b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 44.07% (prev 43.55%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 2.94 (Enterprise Value 87.9b / Total Assets 29.9b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 2.09% (Interest Expense 302.9m / Debt 14.5b)
Taxrate = 18.87% (496.1m / 2.63b)
NOPAT = 2.35b (EBIT 2.89b * (1 - 18.87%))
Current Ratio = 1.84 (Total Current Assets 11.0b / Total Current Liabilities 5.99b)
Debt / Equity = 1.44 (Debt 14.5b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 10.1b)
Debt / EBITDA = 2.39 (Net Debt 9.36b / EBITDA 3.92b)
Debt / FCF = 4.99 (Net Debt 9.36b / FCF TTM 1.87b)
Total Stockholder Equity = 9.89b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 7.89% (Net Income 2.12b / Total Assets 29.9b)
RoE = 21.41% (Net Income TTM 2.12b / Total Stockholder Equity 9.89b)
RoCE = 13.27% (EBIT 2.89b / Capital Employed (Equity 9.89b + L.T.Debt 11.9b))
RoIC = 9.63% (NOPAT 2.35b / Invested Capital 24.4b)
WACC = 6.43% (E(78.6b)/V(93.1b) * Re(7.30%) + D(14.5b)/V(93.1b) * Rd(2.09%) * (1-Tc(0.19)))
Discount Rate = 7.30% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -96.42 | Cagr: -0.76%
[DCF] Terminal Value 77.97% ; FCFF base≈1.75b ; Y1≈2.01b ; Y5≈2.96b
[DCF] Fair Price = 125.5 (EV 44.5b - Net Debt 9.36b = Equity 35.2b / Shares 280.3m; r=8.35% [WACC [floored]]; 5y FCF grow 15.0% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: 97.86 | EPS CAGR: 18.23% | SUE: 1.34 | # QB: 1
Revenue Correlation: 92.95 | Revenue CAGR: 3.16% | SUE: 0.86 | # QB: 4
EPS current Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=2.17 | Chg30d=-0.08% | Revisions=+17% | Analysts=18
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=8.16 | Chg30d=-0.05% | Revisions=+38% | GrowthEPS=+8.4% | GrowthRev=+11.5%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=9.41 | Chg30d=-0.08% | Revisions=+52% | GrowthEPS=+15.3% | GrowthRev=+7.9%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +41% (up=38, down=15)