Findlay Park Partners LLP Has $118.44 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Findlay Park Partners LLP cut its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 432,484 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 7,700 shares during the quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP owned approximately 0.15% of Ecolab worth $118,440,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Allianz SE boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 91.9% in the third quarter. Allianz SE now owns 3,236 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $886,000 after acquiring an additional 1,550 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 228.2% in the 3rd quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 6,016 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 4,183 shares during the period. 1ST Source Bank acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $225,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 221,082 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $60,546,000 after buying an additional 3,428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Investments Management Co LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC now owns 3,568 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $977,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $308.06 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $282.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $274.21. The company has a market capitalization of $86.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

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.