Ecolab Inc. (ECL) fair value analysis
S&P 500 · Updated 2026-10-19
ECL price how computed
Forward Fair Value verdict
UndervaluedECL is trading at a 10–25% discount to estimated fair value.
Based on TickrTrends' weekly Forward Fair Value model.
- Last price
- $281.83
- Sector
- Basic Materials
- 12-month range
- $245.73–$308.35
- Market cap
- $79B
- From 52-week high
- -8.6%
- Shares outstanding
- 280M
- Rank in Basic Materials by discount to fair value
- #8 of 26
Last price is our 2026-10-19 weekly price; the chart runs through 2026-10-16.
Ecolab Inc. is a global provider of water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services for customers in the food service, hospitality, healthcare, industrial, and commercial sectors. The company operates across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other international markets, serving clients ranging from restaurants and hotels to hospitals and manufacturing facilities.
ECL currently ranks #8 of 26 Basic Materials stocks by discount to fair value. It has screened as Undervalued for 14 consecutive weekly runs.
Fundamentals (4 quarters) how computed
- Market cap
- $79B
- P/E (trailing)
- 35x
- Revenue (TTM)
- $16.8B
- Net margin
- 12.6%
- EPS (TTM)
- $7.94
- Gross margin
- 44.1%
- Debt / equity
- 1.37
- Revenue growth (3-yr avg)
- 3.9%
- Shares outstanding
- 280M
Derived indicators how computed
- Quality grade
- C
- Margin trend
- Stable
- 52-week position
- The upper-middle quarter of its range
Technicals how computed
- RSI (14-day)
- 68 · neutral
- 50-day average
- $279.73
- 200-day average
- $274.81
- Moving-average state
- 50-day above 200-day (golden cross state); price above both averages
- Momentum score
- 70 · grade B
- Positive weeks (of 12)
- 3
Dividends how computed
- Paid, last 12 months
- $2.92 per share (4 payments)
- Yield on last price
- 1.04%
- Consecutive years of increases
- 21
- Last ex-dividend date
- 2026-09-15
- Last payment date
- 2026-10-15
Earnings how computed
- Next earnings report
- 2026-10-27 (pre-market)
- Last 8 quarters vs consensus
- 4 beat, 1 missed
- Quarter by quarter
- 2026-06 ▲ beat (+0.5%)
2026-03 ▬ met (0.0%)
2025-12 ▲ beat (+0.5%)
2025-09 ▬ met (0.0%)
2025-06 ▼ miss (-0.5%)
2025-03 ▬ met (0.0%)
2024-12 ▲ beat (+0.6%)
2024-09 ▲ beat (+0.5%)
Analyst consensus how computed
This is not TickrTrends' verdict.
- Analyst ratings
- 20 buy · 4 hold · 0 sell (24 analysts)
- Consensus lean
- Buy-leaning
- Consensus price target
- $325
- Target vs last price
- +15.3%
What our data shows for ECL
- Our model validated 17 trailing price-to-earnings windows for ECL, built from quarterly earnings records.
- Shares are trading in the middle of their 12-month price range of $245.73–$308.35.
- The 14-day relative strength index sits at a neutral 68.
- 3 of the last 12 weekly snapshots showed positive price momentum.
The exact numbers are one step away
- The precise Forward Fair Value dollar figure for ECL
- Exact discount / premium to today's price
- The normalized historical P/E behind the estimate, and how many quarters support it
- Forward EPS input and fiscal-year basis
- Screeners and rankings across the full S&P 500 and Nasdaq universes
Forward Fair Value applies a conservatively normalized historical price-to-earnings multiple to the consensus earnings estimate for the next full fiscal year; how TickrTrends computes it.
Recent ECL news
TickrTrends' derived news-sentiment signal for ECL is currently leaning positive, computed from recent coverage.
- California Restaurant Foundation Appoints Salvador Falcon As Chair of the Board of Directors (restaurantnews.com, 2026-10-20)
TickrTrends take: Salvador Falcon's appointment as chair of the California Restaurant Foundation reflects leadership changes in an organization that represents a significant customer base for ECL's basic materials operations serving the food service industry. As TickrTrends currently identifies ECL as undervalued, investors should monitor whether industry advocacy efforts by this foundation leadership correlate with demand trends for ECL's products and services to the restaurant sector. The leadership transition may provide insight into the health and capital allocation priorities of ECL's end-market customers. - Ecolab (ECL): Is Its Water-and-Hygiene Moat as Sticky as It Looks? (insidermonkey.com, 2026-10-07)
TickrTrends take: Ecolab operates in the Basic Materials sector, where TickrTrends currently derives an Undervalued verdict for the stock. The company's competitive position in water and hygiene products represents a significant operational moat, but valuation-focused readers should monitor whether the market is adequately pricing the sustainability and pricing power of that competitive advantage. Given the undervalued designation, investors tracking this stock should evaluate whether competitive stickiness justifies current valuation levels or if risks to that moat could narrow the discount. - ECL Maintained by UBS -- Price Target Raised to $344 (gurufocus.com, 2026-10-05)
TickrTrends take: UBS raised its price target for ECL to $344, reflecting analyst confidence in the company's prospects within the Basic Materials sector. Given TickrTrends' current assessment that ECL is undervalued, the elevation of the price target by a major investment bank provides external validation for investors monitoring the valuation gap. A valuation-focused reader should track whether the market begins to close this gap toward the new analyst target, as such price movement would indicate the market is repricing ECL closer to what UBS and TickrTrends' metrics suggest is justified.
More ECL news
- Ecolab: An Essentials-Focused Dividend Aristocrat (NYSE:ECL) (seekingalpha.com, 2026-09-24)
What people are saying
Follow the ECL conversation: Stocktwits · Reddit · X
TickrTrends weekly updates
- 2026-10-19 — TickrTrends' derived indicators for ECL showed a shift in momentum this week, moving from no rating to a B grade. With a current valuation verdict of Undervalued, the stock presents a technical picture that has improved based on momentum analysis.
- 2026-10-12 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-11 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-10 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-10-06 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-28 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-21 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
- 2026-09-17 — No material change this week: the verdict, bands and grades all held steady.
Frequently asked questions
Is ECL stock undervalued?
Based on TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value model (updated 2026-10-19), ECL is trading at a 10–25% discount to estimated fair value and screens as undervalued. The exact fair value and discount are available to subscribers.
What is ECL's TickrTrends verdict?
ECL's current verdict is Undervalued, refreshed with every weekly Forward Fair Value run.
How does ECL compare to other Basic Materials stocks?
ECL ranks #8 of 26 Basic Materials stocks in TickrTrends' coverage by discount to fair value.
Is ECL overbought or oversold?
ECL's 14-day RSI is in neutral territory - neither overbought nor oversold.
Does ECL pay a dividend?
Yes. ECL paid $2.92 per share over the last twelve months (4 payments), a 1.04% yield on TickrTrends' last price, and has raised the annual total for 21 consecutive years. The last ex-dividend date was 2026-09-15.
When does ECL report earnings next?
ECL's next earnings report is scheduled for 2026-10-27 (pre-market), per the published earnings calendar.
Does ECL usually beat earnings estimates?
Over its last 8 reported quarters ECL beat the consensus estimate 4 times and missed 1 times, by TickrTrends' comparison of reported and estimated EPS.
What do analysts say about ECL?
Of 24 analysts covering ECL, 20 rate it a buy, 4 a hold and 0 a sell - buy-leaning, with a consensus price target of $325 (+15.3% versus TickrTrends' last price). This is the analyst consensus, not TickrTrends' Forward Fair Value verdict.
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