RFG Advisory LLC decreased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 52.5% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,961 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,167 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $522,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,870,000 after acquiring an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its position in Ecolab by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $86,670,000 after purchasing an additional 68,062 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,240,000 after purchasing an additional 3,464 shares during the period. Erste Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Ecolab by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 14.7% during the 4th quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 100,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,394,000 after purchasing an additional 12,890 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Price Performance
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup increased their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.71.
View Our Latest Analysis on Ecolab
Ecolab Profile
Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.
Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.
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