Citigroup Reaffirms Ecolab Buy Rating, Sees Strong Earnings Growth Despite Q2 EPS Miss

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) is one of the best agriculture technology stocks to buy now. On July 30, 2025, Citigroup reaffirmed its bullish stance on the company, maintaining a “Buy” rating and setting a price target of $315.

While the target represents a modest pullback from the earlier $325 estimate made on July 3, analysts at Citi remain confident in Ecolab’s long-term earnings trajectory. Their updated outlook came after Ecolab’s Q2 earnings fell slightly short of expectations, posting an EPS of $1.89 versus consensus estimates, though revenue held steady at $4.02 billion.

ChatGPT said: Citigroup Reaffirms Ecolab Buy Rating, Sees Strong Earnings Growth Despite Q2 EPS Miss

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Despite the miss, Citigroup cited strong fundamentals, resilient operating income—up 10% year over year—and robust demand across key verticals like life sciences and water management as reasons to stay optimistic. The firm expects Ecolab to post low-to-mid-teens EPS growth in 2025, followed by another double-digit gain in 2026, bolstered by efficiency improvements and digital expansion through its “One Ecolab” initiative.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies. Its solutions serve a wide range of industries, including agriculture, food safety, and industrial processing—making it a critical player in the intersection of sustainability and food production.

While we acknowledge the potential of ECL to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ECL and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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