Why ECL Stock advanced +0.71% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash

$302.98 +0.71% NYSE • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $304.09

Ecolab Inc. (ECL) earns a Roarable Rating of B- (Buy) with 71/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 14% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.

ROARABLE B- • BUY Cap $84.34B
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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is ECL stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
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As of 2026-11-02, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is rated B- (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 71/100 at a spot price of $302.98 (+0.71% 1D, market cap $84.34B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 15/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 17/20, Executive Insider Alignment 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 11/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 12/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, ECL ranks #120 in composite RQD confidence.

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🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does ECL compare to CL and UL in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Package Goods/Cosmetics), ECL carries a Roarable B- (71/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 40.6x, gross margin of 44.5%, and ROIC of 14.1%. By comparison, CL (Colgate-Palmolive Company) holds a B- grade (70/100 RQD, P/E 34.8x, ROIC 44.0%, cap $74.26B) and UL (Unilever PLC American) posts a C grade (65/100 RQD, P/E 32.8x, ROIC 9.9%, cap $138.26B). Among the 5-stock peer group, UL leads on earnings multiple (32.8x) while CL leads on capital efficiency (44.0% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for ECL?
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Per ECL's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000031462), Ecolab Inc. generated $16.08B in revenue (+2.2% YoY), $2.08B in net income, and $1.90B in free cash flow against $24.70B in total assets and $6.70B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (45% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Priced at 41x earnings—high expectations leave less room for a lukewarm quarter.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

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INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray
EXT / AFTER-HRS: $304.10 (+0.37%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.24% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 15/20 (B) • 11.8% FCF Margin
Verify 90D Bucket Audit →
📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 71/100 (B-) historically ranked in the Top 14% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+6.8% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 68.4% hit rate).
Audit Bucket Track Record →
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERBUY • B-
025507510071
3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish
Cash
SEC
Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw B · Rk C+
Cash (15)Whales (17)SEC (16)Macro (11)CEO (12)
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE+5.8% Base Target
$378 Bull$321 Base$248 Bear
📬 FREE ECL RATING-CHANGE & BRIEFING ALERTSManage / Unsubscribe
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for ECL)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±4.5%
Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (71/100 Composite)
🔍 WHY ECL SCORES 71/100 (B-) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag
▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+17/20 pts (24% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±4.5% realized swing band)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+16/20 pts (23% of score)

Altman Z-Score 5.16 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 7/9

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit11/20 pts (-9 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (68.9) create a -9 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current
Q1 (-3Q)
63
Grade C+$285.66+0.9% Next Q
Q2 (-2Q)
66
Grade B-$288.16+1.1% Next Q
Q3 (-1Q)
68
Grade B-$291.27+4% Next Q
Current
71
Grade B-$302.98+6.8% Hist 90D α
Trajectory: C+ (63) → B- (71)Full Audit →
⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the ECL Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 71/100 (B-) score, ECL faces multiple-compression risk if 40.6x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Priced at 41x earnings—high expectations leave less room for a lukewarm quarter.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-1.24% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 42.0% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($282.63) or 200D SMA ($276.18) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($320.70) toward Bear Floor ($248.44).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $ECL• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite
Contract: “ECL Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”
AUTOMATED RQD QUANT DESK MOVER BRIEFINGFull Market News Desk →

Why ECL Stock advanced +0.71% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash

Ecolab Inc. (ECL) advanced +0.71% to $302.98, trading at 90% of its 52-week range ($243.15 – $309.27). High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 14% return on capital) with steady institutional support.

  • ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 90% of its 52-week range ($243.15 – $309.27) with RSI-14 at 68.9 (BULLISH MOMENTUM).
  • ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±4.5% around $302.98 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
  • ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable B- (Buy) backed by 44.5% gross margin and $1.9B annual free cash flow.
Live ECL Headlines & Catalysts
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Scheduled RQD Strong Buys & Whale Accumulation Briefing (ECL Tape Review)

  • ✓Breakdown of the highest-scoring RQD Green-Light breakouts across our 5,200+ rated universe
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  • ✓Includes downloadable .ics calendar invite & nightly RQD rating-change email alerts
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ECL // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +18.54%⚡ TESTING RESISTANCE
2026-11-02O $292.4H $303.0L $292.4C $303.0VOL 2.03M
RES: $306.1SUP: $270.3SMA50: $282.6SMA200: $276.2
$310.1$291.9$273.8$255.7$237.5RES $306.1SUP $270.3$303.02026-05-042026-06-172026-08-042026-09-182026-11-02
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

ECL Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
30.8%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +2.2% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on ECL today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for ECL. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for ECL today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (ECL)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #120 of 1011 ⚔️ CL vs ECL Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (ECL vs. CL, UL, EL, HLN)

Industry: Package Goods/Cosmetics (23 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Ecolab Inc. (ECL) ranks #120 by composite RQD confidence (71/100, grade B-) and #23 by equity capitalization ($84.34B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, UL leads on earnings valuation at 32.8x trailing P/E, while CL leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 44.0% ROIC and 60.1% gross margin. ECL currently leads its immediate peer cohort in composite quantitative strength at 71/100 (B-).

Ticker / Company Roarable Grade RQD Score Trailing P/E Gross Margin ROIC 1D Change Market Cap Head-to-Head
ECL ACTIVE
Ecolab Inc.
B- 71/100 40.6x 44.5% 14.1% +0.71% $84.34B Benchmark Subject
CL
Colgate-Palmolive Company
B- 70/100 34.8x 60.1% 44.0% +2.29% $74.26B /cl-vs-ecl →
UL
Unilever PLC American
C 65/100 32.8x — 9.9% +1.68% $138.26B /ul-vs-ecl →
EL
Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
D+ 57/100 — 74.0% -11.0% +0.39% $39.42B /el-vs-ecl →
HLN
Haleon plc American
D+ 55/100 32.8x — 9.9% +1.05% $37.69B /hln-vs-ecl →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0000031462

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Ecolab Inc. (ECL) reported GAAP revenue of $16.08B (+2.2% vs. FY2024 revenue of $15.74B , and +5.0% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $2.08B, operating cash flow of $2.95B, and free cash flow of $1.90B (+4.7% YoY). On the balance sheet, ECL closed FY2025 with $24.70B in total assets against $6.70B in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 5.16, Piotroski F-Score: 7/9).

Fiscal Period Filing Date Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow Total Assets Total Debt
FY2025 (FY) 2025-12-31 $16.08B $2.08B $2.95B $1.90B $24.70B $6.70B
FY2024 (FY) 2024-12-31 $15.74B $2.11B $2.81B $1.82B $22.39B $6.12B
FY2023 (FY) 2023-12-31 $15.32B $1.37B $2.41B $1.72B $46.39B $10.85B

3. ECL Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is ECL stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-02, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is rated B- (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 71/100 at a spot price of $302.98 (+0.71% 1D, market cap $84.34B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 15/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 17/20, Executive Insider Alignment 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 11/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 12/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, ECL ranks #120 in composite RQD confidence.

How does ECL compare to CL and UL in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Package Goods/Cosmetics), ECL carries a Roarable B- (71/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 40.6x, gross margin of 44.5%, and ROIC of 14.1%. By comparison, CL (Colgate-Palmolive Company) holds a B- grade (70/100 RQD, P/E 34.8x, ROIC 44.0%, cap $74.26B) and UL (Unilever PLC American) posts a C grade (65/100 RQD, P/E 32.8x, ROIC 9.9%, cap $138.26B). Among the 5-stock peer group, UL leads on earnings multiple (32.8x) while CL leads on capital efficiency (44.0% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for ECL?

Per ECL's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000031462), Ecolab Inc. generated $16.08B in revenue (+2.2% YoY), $2.08B in net income, and $1.90B in free cash flow against $24.70B in total assets and $6.70B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (45% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Priced at 41x earnings—high expectations leave less room for a lukewarm quarter.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is ECL trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

ECL last traded at $302.98 (+0.71% on volume of 1,743,653 shares), positioning the stock +7.20% above its 50-day simple moving average ($282.63) and +9.70% above its 200-day simple moving average ($276.18). Across its 52-week range of $243.15 to $309.27, ECL sits at the 90.5% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 68.9 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±4.5% ($289.35 to $316.61).

ECL Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

Why is ECL stock moving today?

Why ECL Stock advanced +0.71% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 14% return on capital) with steady institutional support.

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 71/100 (B-) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

ECL — Ecolab Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
As of: 2026-11-02T15:10:06Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, ECL scores 71 out of 100, a letter grade of B-, with the verdict label "Roarable Buy — Sound Institutional Accumulation." The five pillars are:

  • Fundamental Cash Engine (15 / 20): ROIC of 14.1% and FCF yield of 2.26%. Strong returns on capital, but the cash yield at the current price is modest, which signals that the market is pricing in substantial future growth.
  • Whale 13F Flow (17 / 20): The highest-scoring pillar, reflecting institutional accumulation and options positioning. Supportive of demand, though the source does not itemize specific holders (see Analyst View section).
  • Insider Conviction (12 / 20): Based on SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. A mid-range reading that does not indicate strong insider signaling in either direction.
  • Macro Regime Fit (11 / 20): Beta of 0.92 indicates the stock has historically moved slightly less than the broader market. Sector sensitivity is noted but not quantified in the source.
  • Forensic Balance Sheet (16 / 20): Altman Z-Score of 5.16, Piotroski F-Score of 7 out of 9, and Debt/Equity of 0.64. These metrics point to a financially sound balance sheet.

For a prospective investor, the upside drivers in this profile are institutional demand, a strong balance sheet, and high capital returns. The principal valuation tradeoff is that trailing P/E of 40.6 and EV/EBITDA of 24.8 are elevated, and the 2.26% FCF yield offers limited near-term cash compensation for the price paid. The score reflects quality and momentum more than valuation cushion.

Snapshot

PriceMarket CapP/E (TTM)Forward P/EEV/EBITDAEPS (TTM)Dividend YieldBeta52-Wk RangeROIC %
$300.86$84.34B40.637.824.87.40.89%0.92$243.15 - $309.2714.1%

Financial Trend

PeriodRevenueOperating IncomeNet IncomeEPSFCFCashDebt
FY 2025$16081.2M$2737.6M$2075.6MN/A$1904.3M$646.2M$6701.3M
FY 2024$15741.4M$2802.4M$2112.4MN/A$1819.4M$1256.8M$6119.4M
FY 2023$15320.2M$1992.3M$1372.3MN/A$1722.4MN/A$10854.5M

Per the SEC financials, revenue rose from $15320.2M (FY 2023) to $16081.2M (FY 2025), while net income moved from $1372.3M to $2075.6M over the same span, after peaking at $2112.4M in FY 2024. Per the market data, gross margin is 44.5%, operating margin 17%, and net margin 12.9%, with ROIC of 14.1%. The Altman Z-Score of 5.16 and Piotroski F-Score of 7/9 are cited in the Roarable RQD rating, and Debt/Equity of 0.64 is also reported there. Debt was $6701.3M at FY 2025 versus $6119.4M at FY 2024, and cash declined from $1256.8M to $646.2M across the same period.

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

Per the recent news and catalysts feed, six items relate to ECL:

  • A Yahoo! Finance Canada market-wire item and a ChartMill item describing a technical setup, both flagged as market-wire, with yellow light status.
  • A Barchart.com item previewing the next quarterly earnings report (market-wire, yellow).
  • A Seeking Alpha item questioning whether AI-driven growth alone can sustain the valuation (flagged as catalyst, green light).
  • A Yahoo Finance item on positioning ahead of Q3 results (market-wire, yellow).
  • A MarketBeat item on a 2026 stock forecast and price target (market-wire, yellow).

Key catalysts are the upcoming earnings report and the valuation debate tied to AI growth expectations. Risk watch items include the valuation skepticism noted in the Seeking Alpha item. Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, supply_chain is listed as NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals.

Open Questions

  • What are the company's specific product lines, customer segments, and revenue mix, given that the source describes only the sector and industry classification?
  • What is the EPS for FY 2025 and FY 2024, given that the financials record EPS as N/A?
  • What is the cash balance for FY 2023, which the financials record as N/A?
  • Which institutional holders and insiders drove the whale-flow and insider-conviction pillar scores?
  • What is the specific consensus rating and price target distribution, given that analyst data is empty?

ECL Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Ecolab Inc. (ECL) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to ECL Debate Forum (3) ↓
🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

ECL Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $302.98?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON ECL 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION
1. Pick Your Side on ECL:
💡 Tip: Back up your call with a price target or RQD metric to get upvoted to the top.
RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $355.01 (+18.0%)
📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is ECL (B- • RQD 71/100) a Buy at $300.86?

Welcome to the ECL (Ecolab Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 71/100 (Roarable Buy — Sound Institutional Accumulation) in Package Goods/Cosmetics. Bulls point to capital efficiency (14.1% ROIC), while bears focus on valuation multiple compression (40.6x trailing P/E). Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

FO ForensicBear Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $231.66 (-23.0%)
Spot @ $300.86

Pump the brakes on ECL — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on ECL, but look at what you are paying: 40.6x trailing P/E with 44.5% gross margins. Unless Ecolab Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

CA CashFlowKing Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $364.04 (+21.0%)
Spot @ $300.86

ECL cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on ECL, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Package Goods/Cosmetics and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $300.86 (52-wk range $243.15 - $309.27), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.

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