Rathbones Group PLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 5.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 304,964 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,392 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $80,059,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $270,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the period. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 22.0% during the fourth quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Portside Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 4.3% during the third quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 975 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Western Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.4% during the third quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,201 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $329,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Kampmann Melissa S. increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Kampmann Melissa S. now owns 13,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,746,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Trading Up 1.3%
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $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. On average, research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The firm 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 $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.51%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $320.65.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ecolab
About Ecolab
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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