Washington Trust Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,344 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,573 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $10,405,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 164.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,684,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 49.4% in the 2nd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $15,741,000 after purchasing an additional 19,324 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insider Transactions at Ecolab
In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Ecolab Price Performance
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is currently 39.19%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages recently weighed in on ECL. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research cut shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.56.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report 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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