Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Purchased by S Bank Fund Management Ltd

Posted by George Bondi on May 6th, 2026

S Bank Fund Management Ltd increased its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 12.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,306 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the quarter. S Bank Fund Management Ltd’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $4,806,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Ballast Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Ballast Advisors LLC now owns 6,811 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,788,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. increased its position in Ecolab by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 5,977 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,569,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Ecolab by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 551,706 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $144,900,000 after purchasing an additional 28,085 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Ecolab by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 339,843 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $89,216,000 after purchasing an additional 7,939 shares during the period. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,870,000 after purchasing an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $257.63 on Wednesday. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $249.04 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $274.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.86, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.92.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.50 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.44 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $256.91 per share, with a total value of $205,528.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 24,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,224,929.30. This trade represents a 3.41% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.53.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ECL

Ecolab Company Profile

(Free Report)

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.