Natixis Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 397,788 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 10,187 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $104,427,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 164.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in Ecolab by 22.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 0.8% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,684,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in Ecolab by 49.4% in the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $15,741,000 after buying an additional 19,324 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Ecolab Price Performance
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 for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company 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. Equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several analysts recently commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho set a $335.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ECL
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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