(ECL) Ecolab - Overview
Stock: Water Treatment, Cleaning Solutions, Pest Elimination
EPS (Earnings per Share)
Revenue
Dividends
| Dividend Yield | 1.04% |
| Yield on Cost 5y | 1.30% |
| Yield CAGR 5y | 8.27% |
| Payout Consistency | 97.5% |
| Payout Ratio | 49.1% |
| Risk 5d forecast | |
|---|---|
| Volatility | 16.5% |
| Relative Tail Risk | -4.59% |
| Reward TTM | |
|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio | 0.68 |
| Alpha | 7.07 |
| Character TTM | |
|---|---|
| Beta | 0.545 |
| Beta Downside | 0.475 |
| Drawdowns 3y | |
|---|---|
| Max DD | 17.26% |
| CAGR/Max DD | 1.59 |
Description: ECL Ecolab January 28, 2026
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) is a diversified provider of water, hygiene, and infection-prevention solutions operating through four reportable segments: Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Global Pest Elimination. The company serves a broad customer base-from manufacturing and petrochemicals to foodservice, hospitals, and commercial pest-control-using a mix of direct field sales, corporate account teams, and distributor networks. Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Ecolab is classified under the Specialty Chemicals sub-industry.
According to the most recent FY 2025 results (released February 2026), Ecolab reported revenue of approximately $15.8 billion, a 3.5 % YoY increase, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.2 % and diluted EPS of $9.73. The Global Industrial segment contributed the largest share of revenue (≈ 45 %), driven by rising demand for water-treatment services in energy-intensive industries amid tighter environmental regulations. The Healthcare & Life Sciences segment posted the strongest growth rate (≈ 7 % YoY), reflecting heightened infection-prevention spending post-COVID-19 and expanding biopharma manufacturing capacity.
Key macro drivers that could affect Ecolab’s outlook include: (1) the global water-treatment market, projected to expand at a 5.1 % CAGR through 2028; (2) US manufacturing PMI trends, which have averaged 52.3 over the past 12 months, indicating modest but stable industrial activity; and (3) regulatory pressure on sanitation standards in food-service and healthcare, which historically correlates with a 0.8 %-1.2 % uplift in segment revenue per 100 basis-point tightening. Investors should monitor the company’s capital-expenditure plans for new digital-monitoring solutions, as these could materially improve recurring revenue visibility.
For a deeper, data-driven assessment of Ecolab’s valuation and risk profile, a quick look at ValueRay’s analyst toolkit can provide useful benchmarks.
Piotroski VR‑10 (Strict, 0-10) 6.5
| Net Income: 1.98b TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.06 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -2.56 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: 18.37% < 20% (prev 8.99%; Δ 9.38% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.11 > 3% & CFO 2.63b > Net Income 1.98b |
| Net Debt (6.87b) to EBITDA (3.43b): 2.00 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 1.70 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (285.4m) vs 12m ago -0.21% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 44.32% > 18% (prev 0.43%; Δ 4389 % > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 69.09% > 50% (prev 70.92%; Δ -1.83% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: 9.58 > 6 (EBITDA TTM 3.43b / Interest Expense TTM 282.3m) |
Altman Z'' 4.11
| A: 0.12 (Total Current Assets 7.11b - Total Current Liabilities 4.19b) / Total Assets 23.90b |
| B: 0.52 (Retained Earnings 12.48b / Total Assets 23.90b) |
| C: 0.12 (EBIT TTM 2.70b / Avg Total Assets 23.00b) |
| D: 0.77 (Book Value of Equity 10.94b / Total Liabilities 14.14b) |
| Altman-Z'' Score: 4.11 = AA |
Beneish M -3.04
| DSRI: 1.08 (Receivables 3.32b/3.03b, Revenue 15.89b/15.67b) |
| GMI: 0.97 (GM 44.32% / 43.15%) |
| AQI: 0.94 (AQ_t 0.50 / AQ_t-1 0.53) |
| SGI: 1.01 (Revenue 15.89b / 15.67b) |
| TATA: -0.03 (NI 1.98b - CFO 2.63b) / TA 23.90b) |
| Beneish M-Score: -3.04 (Cap -4..+1) = AA |
What is the price of ECL shares?
Over the past week, the price has changed by +2.96%, over one month by +6.92%, over three months by +15.05% and over the past year by +17.31%.
Is ECL a buy, sell or hold?
- StrongBuy: 8
- Buy: 4
- Hold: 13
- Sell: 1
- StrongSell: 0
What are the forecasts/targets for the ECL price?
| Issuer | Target | Up/Down from current |
|---|---|---|
| Wallstreet Target Price | 295.4 | 1.7% |
| Analysts Target Price | 295.4 | 1.7% |
| ValueRay Target Price | 340.8 | 17.4% |
ECL Fundamental Data Overview February 02, 2026
P/E Forward = 32.2581
P/S = 5.0332
P/B = 8.3381
P/EG = 2.9303
Revenue TTM = 15.89b USD
EBIT TTM = 2.70b USD
EBITDA TTM = 3.43b USD
Long Term Debt = 8.05b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 176.5m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 8.83b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter)
Net Debt = 6.87b USD (from netDebt column, last quarter)
Enterprise Value = 86.85b USD (79.98b + Debt 8.83b - CCE 1.96b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 9.58 (Ebit TTM 2.70b / Interest Expense TTM 282.3m)
EV/FCF = 55.92x (Enterprise Value 86.85b / FCF TTM 1.55b)
FCF Yield = 1.79% (FCF TTM 1.55b / Enterprise Value 86.85b)
FCF Margin = 9.78% (FCF TTM 1.55b / Revenue TTM 15.89b)
Net Margin = 12.49% (Net Income TTM 1.98b / Revenue TTM 15.89b)
Gross Margin = 44.32% ((Revenue TTM 15.89b - Cost of Revenue TTM 8.85b) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 44.79% (prev 44.78%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 3.63 (Enterprise Value 86.85b / Total Assets 23.90b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 0.63% (Interest Expense 55.3m / Debt 8.83b)
Taxrate = 17.83% (128.0m / 717.7m)
NOPAT = 2.22b (EBIT 2.70b * (1 - 17.83%))
Current Ratio = 1.70 (Total Current Assets 7.11b / Total Current Liabilities 4.19b)
Debt / Equity = 0.91 (Debt 8.83b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 9.72b)
Debt / EBITDA = 2.00 (Net Debt 6.87b / EBITDA 3.43b)
Debt / FCF = 4.43 (Net Debt 6.87b / FCF TTM 1.55b)
Total Stockholder Equity = 9.20b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 8.63% (Net Income 1.98b / Total Assets 23.90b)
RoE = 21.58% (Net Income TTM 1.98b / Total Stockholder Equity 9.20b)
RoCE = 15.68% (EBIT 2.70b / Capital Employed (Equity 9.20b + L.T.Debt 8.05b))
RoIC = 13.05% (NOPAT 2.22b / Invested Capital 17.03b)
WACC = 7.18% (E(79.98b)/V(88.81b) * Re(7.92%) + D(8.83b)/V(88.81b) * Rd(0.63%) * (1-Tc(0.18)))
Discount Rate = 7.92% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.) -> floored to rf + 0.7*ERP = 7.95%
Shares Correlation 3-Years: -100.0 | Cagr: -0.30%
[DCF Debug] Terminal Value 82.61% ; FCFF base≈1.73b ; Y1≈1.95b ; Y5≈2.60b
Fair Price DCF = 164.6 (EV 53.49b - Net Debt 6.87b = Equity 46.61b / Shares 283.2m; r=7.18% [WACC]; 5y FCF grow 14.34% → 2.90% )
EPS Correlation: 81.15 | EPS CAGR: 13.68% | SUE: 0.0 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: 83.03 | Revenue CAGR: 5.86% | SUE: 2.10 | # QB: 1
EPS next Quarter (2026-03-31): EPS=1.69 | Chg30d=-0.004 | Revisions Net=+1 | Analysts=9
EPS next Year (2026-12-31): EPS=8.48 | Chg30d=-0.061 | Revisions Net=-2 | Growth EPS=+12.6% | Growth Revenue=+7.6%