Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) saw a decent share price growth of 18% on the NYSE over the last few months. The company is now trading at yearly-high levels following the recent surge in its share price. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock's share price. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let's examine Ecolab's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

What Is Ecolab Worth?

According to our valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued by about 38%, trading at US$227 compared to our intrinsic value of $164.62. Not the best news for investors looking to buy! If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since Ecolab's share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What does the future of Ecolab look like?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you're looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let's also take a look at the company's future expectations. Ecolab's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 67%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in ECL's positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question – is now the right time to sell? If you believe ECL should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping tabs on ECL for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means there's no upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for ECL, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Ecolab and you'll want to know about it.

If you are no longer interested in Ecolab, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.