Ecolab Inc. $ECL Holdings Decreased by Concentric Capital Strategies LP

Concentric Capital Strategies LP reduced its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 18.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 50,318 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 11,143 shares during the period. Concentric Capital Strategies LP’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $13,209,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Ecolab by 1,375.0% in the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.41.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $268.87 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.38, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $261.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $271.21.

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

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.