# Ecolab, Inc. (ECL) stock analysis and sentiment

Canonical page: https://synoptiv.com/stock/ECL
Methodology: https://synoptiv.com/methodology
Author: Synoptiv Research Engine

Last analyzed: Aug 25, 2026

Ecolab, Inc. (ECL) last closed at $286.98, in the upper half of its 52-week range of $243.15–$309.27. Composite market sentiment across 1 analysis is positive (+37 on a −100 to +100 scale), as of Aug 25, 2026.

## What the data says

At a last close of $286.98, the stock sits in the upper part of a 52-week band that runs from $243.15 to $309.27 — a spread of roughly 27% from low to high, which is a fairly contained year for a company of this size. The price is closer to the top of that range than the bottom, and with a beta of 0.89 the shares have tended to move slightly less than the broad market rather than amplifying it.

The market is paying about 38 times trailing earnings and roughly 30 times forward estimates for that ~$80 billion capitalization, alongside close to 8 times book value — multiples well above where the average industrial or materials name trades, and the gap between the trailing and forward figures reflects expectations of earnings growth ahead. The underlying business converts about 12.6% of revenue into profit and grew revenue near 10%, so the premium rests on steady mid-single to high-single-digit expansion and consistent margins rather than rapid growth. The dividend adds just over 1% a year, making income a modest part of the total return here.

News flow over the past several months has been split between company-specific items and broader sector coverage. The two direct headlines were the $4.75 billion acquisition of CoolIT, which pushes the company into cooling for AI data centers, and a fourth-quarter report where earnings and revenue came in slightly ahead of estimates and the shares rose. The remainder — pieces on medical device cleaning, sustainable paper chemicals, sectors holding up in a choppy market, and stock lists tied to the AI buildout — is industry and market commentary in which the company appears as one name among many, not the subject.

## About Ecolab, Inc.

Ecolab Inc. is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based provider of water treatment, hygiene, and infection prevention products and services, operating in the United States and internationally. Founded in 1923, the company reports through four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences.

The Water segment serves industrial customers — including food and beverage processing, chemicals, mining and primary metals, power generation, refining, petrochemicals, and pulp and paper — with water treatment, process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions. The Institutional & Specialty segment supplies cleaning and sanitizing products to foodservice, healthcare, hospitality, government, education, and retail customers, while Global Pest Elimination handles rodent and insect control for restaurants, food processors, hotels, grocers, and similar operations. Global Life Sciences provides cleaning and contamination control for pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturing. Products reach customers through a field sales force, corporate account teams, distributors, and dealers, under brands including Ecolab, Kay, Purolite, and Bioquell.

## Company profile

- Symbol: ECL
- Exchange: NYSE
- Security type: Stock
- Sector: Basic Materials
- Industry: Specialty Chemicals
- Composite sentiment: positive (37 on a -100 to +100 scale)

## Key statistics

| Metric | Value |
| --- | ---: |
| Market capitalization | $79.96B |
| Enterprise value | $89.26B |
| Trailing P/E | 38.24 |
| Forward P/E | 30.29 |
| Price to book | 7.95 |
| Price to sales | 4.75 |
| Dividend yield | 1.02% |
| Beta | 0.89 |
| Net margin | 12.57% |
| Revenue growth | 9.70% |
| Earnings growth | 3.30% |
| 52-week high | $309.27 |
| 52-week low | $243.15 |
| Average volume | 1.55M |

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## Recent news

- [Ecolab to Host 2026 Investor Day at SC26 Supercomputing Conference](/news/385349/ecolab-to-host-2026-investor-day-at-sc26-supercomputing-conference) — Aug 25, 2026
- [Church & Dwight Co. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading day](https://www.marketwatch.com/data-news/church-dwight-co-stock-outperforms-competitors-on-strong-trading-day-5cb4142d-f2089af14c0a?mod=mw_FV) — Aug 24, 2026
- [Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Flashes a High-Quality Technical Breakout Setup](https://www.chartmill.com/news/ECL/Chartmill-53874-Ecolab-NYSEECL-Flashes-a-High-Quality-Technical-Breakout-Setup) — Aug 22, 2026
- [Chairman Of Ecolab Sold $5.00M In Stock](https://www.benzinga.com/news/26/08/61358263/chairman-ecolab-sold-5-00m-stock) — Aug 21, 2026
- [Ecolab Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?](https://www.barchart.com/story/news/3947139/ecolab-stock-is-wall-street-bullish-or-bearish) — Aug 20, 2026
- [Ecolab's Projected Commodity Cost Increase in H2 Manageable, RBC Capital Markets Says](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/commodities/articles/ecolab-apos-projected-commodity-cost-151039235.html) — Aug 19, 2026
- [Ecolab's CoolIT Deal Raises AI Upside but Also Debt and Cost Risks](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/ecolabs-coolit-deal-raises-ai-183400141.html) — Aug 18, 2026
- [Is Ecolab Stock Worth Buying as Growth Rises but Debt Risk Builds?](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ecolab-stock-worth-buying-growth-182900873.html) — Aug 18, 2026
- [Ecolab Rallies 12.2% in 3 Months as High-Tech Growth Gains Momentum](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/ecolab-rallies-12-2-3-182400140.html) — Aug 18, 2026
- [Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Checks the Boxes for Quality Investing](https://www.chartmill.com/news/ECL/Chartmill-53498-Ecolab-NYSEECL-Checks-the-Boxes-for-Quality-Investing) — Aug 12, 2026

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the current market sentiment for ECL?

As of Aug 25, 2026, Ecolab, Inc. (ECL) carries positive (+37 on a −100 to +100 scale) composite sentiment. The score fuses recent news tone, analyst recommendations, technical posture, insider and congressional activity, and market attention into a single figure. The full breakdown of each component is in the report.

### How has ECL stock been performing?

Ecolab, Inc. last closed at $286.98, in the upper half of its 52-week range of $243.15–$309.27.

### What is ECL's market cap and valuation?

Ecolab, Inc. has a market capitalization of about $79.96B, a trailing P/E of 38.2, a dividend yield of 1.02%.

### What sector is ECL in, and who are its competitors?

Ecolab, Inc. operates in the Basic Materials sector, specifically Specialty Chemicals. Comparable companies include SHW, PPG, IFF, DD, ALB.

### Where can I find a full analysis of ECL?

The full ECL report covers the bull and bear cases, technical signals with entry, stop and target levels, complete financial statements, earnings history, insider and congressional trades, and the conditions that would invalidate the thesis. It requires a free account.

## Important information

This page is generated from public market and company information. Data can be delayed, incomplete, or wrong. It is research and analysis, not financial advice.

- [Methodology](https://synoptiv.com/methodology)
- [Disclosures](https://synoptiv.com/disclosures)
- [Full report](https://synoptiv.com/stock/ECL/v/1) (account and access required)