Key facts, as of
As of October 7, 2026, Ecolab Inc. (ECL) trades at $278.69, down 0.1% over the past year. Its 52-week range runs from $243.15 to $309.27; the price is 9.9% below that high. It is 9.9% below its all-time high of $309.27, reached in February 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +151.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It sits 1.7% above its 200-day average of $274.10, the usual sign of a long-term uptrend. Its 30-day volatility is 17.4% annualized, which we rate medium risk. It has a trailing P/E of 37.4 and a dividend yield of 1.04%.
Cite: Portfolio Terminal, "Ecolab Inc. (ECL) stock analysis", 2026-10-07. https://portfolio-terminal.com/analyse/ecl
Where it trades today
trading 54% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
How far it is from its record
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) is 9.9% below its all-time high of $309.27, reached in February 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +151.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Ecolab Inc. should be monitored through the lens of its industry cycle, capital allocation, and relative positioning against listed peers.
- ECL trades at 37.4x earnings, well above the basic materials average of 14.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- Recent realized volatility sits near 17.4%, below the sector norm of 28.0%, which supports a steadier role inside a diversified portfolio.
- Relative performance versus LIN, APD, SHW matters here because leadership inside basic materials rarely stays static for long.
Portfolio Use Case
- ECL is more useful for investors comparing conviction names inside basic materials than for someone looking for a passive “set and forget” holding.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in ECL.
- The view would need revisiting if peers such as LIN, APD, SHW start winning the marginal flow or posting cleaner operating momentum.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for ECL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Basic Materials so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as LIN, APD, SHW.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for ECL. Last refresh: Oct 7, 2026, 7:21 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as LIN, APD, SHW.
What Ecolab Inc. does
Ecolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences. The Global Water segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, primary metals and mining, power generation, global refining, petrochemical, pulp and paper industries. The Global Institutional & Specialty segment provides cleaning and sanitizing products to the foodservice, healthcare, hospitality,…
What analysts expect
ECL carries a buy consensus from 21 analysts, with an average price target of $325.05 versus $278.69 today (+16.6%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
ECL generated $16.84B in trailing revenue (9.7% year over year), with a 12.6% net margin, and $1.47B of free cash flow, against $8.78B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $16.08B | $7.15B | $2.89B | $2.08B | $7.33 | $1.90B |
| 2024 | $15.74B | $6.84B | $2.61B | $2.11B | $7.43 | $1.82B |
| 2023 | $15.32B | $6.17B | $2.10B | $1.37B | $4.82 | $1.64B |
| 2022 | $14.19B | $5.36B | $1.70B | $1.09B | $3.83 | $1.08B |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
Which ETFs hold it
ECL is in 7 of the 30 ETFs we track. It weighs most in JEPI: 1.07% of the fund, holding #29 of 119.
Famous investors who hold it
ECL is in the latest 13F of 1 of the 15 famous investors we follow. Bill Gates (Gates Foundation Trust) holds the most of it: 4.22% of the portfolio, position #6 of 24, as of Q2 2026.
How it sits in basic materials
Commodity-driven sector including mining, chemicals, and construction materials.
The companies it competes with
ECL beside the basic materials names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Slipped under its 50-day average inside a longer uptrend.
weakening- Price is 0.2% below its 50-day average and 1.7% above its 200-day.
- The 50-day crossed above the 200-day on 2026-08-07 (a “golden cross”).
- RSI at 53 is neither stretched nor washed out.
- The nearest ceiling is $288.38 (+3.5%), the nearest floor $267.85 (-3.9%).
A description of the chart, not advice. Indicators describe what the price has done; none of them knows what it does next.
Questions people ask about it
Is ECL a good investment in 2026?
Ecolab Inc. trades at a P/E ratio of 37.4, with medium volatility (17.4% annualized). The stock is in a consolidation phase.
What is the risk level of ECL?
Based on 30-day volatility of 17.4%, ECL has MEDIUM risk. Beta of 0.88 indicates lower sensitivity to market movements than average.
Does ECL pay dividends?
Yes, Ecolab Inc. has a dividend yield of 1.04%.
How far is ECL from its all-time high?
Ecolab Inc. is 9.9% below its all-time high of $309.27, reached in February 2026. Over the 10 years to the end of September 2026, with dividends reinvested, it returned +151.3%, against +312.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY).
Which ETFs hold ECL?
7 of the 30 popular ETFs we track hold Ecolab Inc.. The largest weights: JEPI (1.07%), VIG (0.31%), VUG (0.21%), VOO (0.11%) and IVV (0.10%). Measured on each issuer's full holdings file, dated August 31 to September 24, 2026.
How much of VOO is ECL?
0.11%, as of August 31, 2026: ECL is holding #171 of 505 in Vanguard's file for VOO. $1,000 in VOO puts about $1.08 in Ecolab Inc..
Which famous investors own ECL?
Bill Gates (4.22% of Gates Foundation Trust's 13F), according to their latest Form 13F filings with the SEC (Q2 2026). A 13F lists US long positions 45 days after the quarter ends, so it can be out of date.
What is the analyst price target for ECL?
The average analyst price target for Ecolab Inc. (ECL) is $325.05 based on 21 analyst estimates, about 16.6% above the current price of $278.69. The published range runs from $295.00 to $360.00.
How much revenue does ECL generate?
Ecolab Inc. reported $16.84B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at 9.7% year over year. Net margin sits at 12.6%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.
Compare ECL with anything
Five years side by side: what $10,000 became, how far each fell, whether they move together.