LaFleur & Godfrey LLC lessened its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 2.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 69,893 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,762 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for about 2.3% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $19,191,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Wellington Altus USA Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.2% in the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Polaris Financial Partners purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Insider Activity at Ecolab
In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Ecolab
Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts see further upside. JPMorgan raised its price target from $305 to $310 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, implying additional upside. Bank of America also said Ecolab may be laying the groundwork for a stronger growth story. JPMorgan analyst rating Bank of America growth outlook
- Positive Sentiment: Data-center and high-tech demand is accelerating. Ecolab reported 7% organic sales growth in the third quarter, including 63% growth in Global High-Tech sales. AI-driven data-center construction and demand for water-management services are becoming important growth drivers. Ecolab third-quarter growth takeaways
- Positive Sentiment: Margins and revenue growth remained healthy. Third-quarter revenue increased 12.7% year over year to $4.69 billion, while management highlighted margin gains and strength in Water and Life Sciences. Adjusted earnings of $2.18 per share increased from $2.07 a year earlier and met consensus estimates. Ecolab third-quarter margin strength
- Neutral Sentiment: The earnings report was mixed. Although EPS met or slightly beat some estimates, revenue was just below consensus, and Ecolab narrowed its 2026 outlook. Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23 suggests continued earnings growth but leaves limited room for disappointment. Ecolab earnings and outlook
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk. With Ecolab trading at roughly 39 times earnings, some investors question whether AI-related growth alone can justify the stock’s premium valuation, particularly if broader organic growth or guidance moderates. Ecolab valuation analysis
Ecolab Stock Performance
ECL stock opened at $292.33 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $81.95 billion, a PE ratio of 39.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a 50 day moving average of $281.26 and a 200-day moving average of $275.83. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.07 earnings per share. Ecolab’s quarterly revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ECL shares. Berenberg Bank increased their price target on Ecolab from $299.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $287.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.53.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ECL
About Ecolab
Ecolab Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning solutions for businesses and institutions. The company helps customers manage water and energy use, maintain sanitary operations, protect food supplies and comply with health and safety standards.
Ecolab serves customers across industries including food and beverage processing, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, institutional facilities and energy. Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, water-treatment and process-management systems, pest-control services, kitchen and housekeeping products, infection-prevention programs, and related equipment, training and consulting services.
Founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory, the company has expanded from its original focus on cleaning products into a broad range of technology-enabled services and solutions.
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