Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE lessened its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 49.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 20,290 shares during the quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $5,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.71.
Ecolab Trading Down 0.0%
NYSE:ECL opened at $278.48 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $78.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.68, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $261.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $272.04. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Ecolab news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Ecolab Company 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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