ECL
Ecolab Inc. Materials - Specialty Chemicals Investor Relations →
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) closed at $290.33 as of 2026-02-02, trading 39.4% above its 200-week moving average of $208.32. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 35.7% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 74, ECL is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2715 weeks of data, ECL has crossed below its 200-week moving average 22 times. On average, these episodes lasted 28 weeks. Historically, investors who bought ECL at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +11.8%.
With a market cap of $82.3 billion, ECL is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 1.7%. Return on equity stands at 21.9%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 12.4x book value.
ECL is a Dividend Aristocrat, having increased its dividend for 25 or more consecutive years. The current yield is 101.00%.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in ECL would have grown to $9535, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 14.7% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming ECL as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 8.6% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: ECL vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After ECL Crosses Below the Line?
Across 7 historical episodes, buying ECL when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +21.7% after 12 months (median +20.0%), compared to +8.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 86% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +36.7% vs +27.1% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment ECL crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
ECL has crossed below its 200-week MA 22 times with an average 1-year return of +11.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1974 | Aug 1978 | 239 | 52.0% | -29.1% | +22024.5% |
| Oct 1978 | Sep 1979 | 49 | 19.5% | -7.6% | +35658.0% |
| Oct 1979 | Dec 1979 | 9 | 10.5% | +1.1% | +35275.6% |
| Dec 1979 | Jan 1980 | 1 | 0.7% | -8.7% | +35852.4% |
| Feb 1980 | Aug 1980 | 28 | 27.4% | -18.6% | +36048.8% |
| Oct 1980 | Apr 1981 | 25 | 17.7% | -12.7% | +39750.8% |
| May 1981 | Jun 1981 | 3 | 3.6% | -6.4% | +38138.3% |
| Jun 1981 | Jul 1982 | 56 | 25.6% | -12.6% | +37701.3% |
| Aug 1982 | Aug 1982 | 2 | 3.3% | +28.3% | +39750.8% |
| Mar 1984 | May 1984 | 11 | 6.4% | +26.2% | +36048.8% |
| Jun 1984 | Jul 1984 | 5 | 4.1% | +47.0% | +36448.3% |
| Nov 1987 | Dec 1987 | 2 | 3.9% | +38.4% | +21204.2% |
| Jan 1990 | Jan 1990 | 1 | 0.1% | -5.8% | +15140.9% |
| Feb 1990 | Jun 1990 | 16 | 12.1% | +11.7% | +15217.1% |
| Jul 1990 | Feb 1991 | 28 | 30.1% | +20.2% | +15251.3% |
| Sep 2001 | Sep 2001 | 1 | 11.8% | +38.3% | +2386.8% |
| Oct 2001 | Oct 2001 | 1 | 2.0% | +34.8% | +2124.2% |
| Jul 2002 | Jul 2002 | 1 | 1.3% | +32.0% | +1942.6% |
| Oct 2008 | Jul 2009 | 42 | 25.2% | +18.1% | +798.9% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 3 | 3.7% | +47.7% | +118.2% |
| Jan 2022 | Jul 2023 | 76 | 29.1% | -17.0% | +63.3% |
| Jul 2023 | Nov 2023 | 16 | 14.6% | +35.0% | +62.3% |
| Average | 28 | — | +11.8% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02