** J.P.Morgan upgrades water solutions company Ecolab ECL.N to "overweight" from "neutral"
** Brokerage wants to "Overweight" larger capitalization companies "with good balance sheets as they may outperform in a more difficult operating environment"
** Adds, ECL is taking steps over a multi-year period to manage its business with increased efficiency and at lower cost
** ECL's share price has moved lower in recent weeks "due to perceived risks of earnings growth erosion from higher raw material costs", which the brokerage believes are likely misplaced
** Brokerage says materials companies are positively sensitive to de-escalation in the Mideast because of benefits from less raw material inflation and less diminished rates of economic growth
** 17 out of 27 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher and 10 "hold"; median PT is $326 - LSEG data
** As of last close, ECL down 0.5% YTD
(Reporting by Sumit Saha in Bengaluru)
((Sumit.Saha@thomsonreuters.com;))
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