Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 9,917 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,763,000.
Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Ecolab by 63.1% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $880,506,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth $413,381,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
ECL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research downgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Citigroup upped their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.56.
Insider Transactions at Ecolab
In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%
NYSE:ECL opened at $281.91 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $276.56 and its 200-day moving average is $273.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $79.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.
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.
Featured Stories
- Five stocks we like better than Ecolab
- Blueprint for a Boom: SEC Clears the Crypto Runway
- Ross Stores Just Flipped the Off-Price Retail Story After TJX’s Marmaxx Miss
- Advance Auto Parts Plunged, But Its Turnaround Is Still Working
- Is Palo Alto Networks Priced for Perfection Again as AI Security Demand Accelerates?
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Ecolab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ecolab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
