UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Buys 40,288 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,468,013 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,288 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $910,423,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,870,000 after buying an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $86,670,000 after buying an additional 68,062 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,240,000 after buying an additional 3,464 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 83,379 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $22,834,000 after buying an additional 13,840 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE:ECL opened at $265.53 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $260.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $271.27. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $74.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michel Doukeris made a sizable purchase of 7,750 Ecolab shares at $258 each, a multi-million-dollar bet that can signal confidence in the company’s outlook. Michel Doukeris Acquires 7,750 Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to show solid operating fundamentals, with its last quarterly earnings meeting EPS expectations and revenue coming in above estimates, while full-year guidance remains intact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab also confirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name rather than a pure growth story.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed but generally favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a price target above current trading levels, though Erste Group recently trimmed its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though the sale appears to be relatively modest compared with his remaining stake. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) COO Sells $2,608,900.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analyst commentary has focused on valuation concerns, suggesting Ecolab’s premium multiple could limit upside if growth expectations cool. Is S&P 500 Valuation Scrutiny Weighing on Ecolab’s Premium?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock 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 company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.41.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders bought 9,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,455,678. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.