Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co Sells 2,000 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co decreased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 53,200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,000 shares during the quarter. Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Co’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $13,966,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 13,560 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,560,000 after purchasing an additional 784 shares during the period. Baker Avenue Asset Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 75.2% in the fourth quarter. Baker Avenue Asset Management LP now owns 2,052 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $539,000 after acquiring an additional 881 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 109,600 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,772,000 after acquiring an additional 1,457 shares during the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $728,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc now owns 3,623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $951,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $260.45 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $262.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.52. The firm has a market cap of $73.30 billion, a PE ratio of 35.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.92. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. 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, research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on ECL. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.53.

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.