Ecolab Inc. $ECL Holdings Increased by D.A. Davidson & CO.

D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 4.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 226,771 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 9,440 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $62,267,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Studio Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.1% in the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 3,576 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $999,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd increased its position in Ecolab by 1.4% during the second quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 2,859 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $797,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co increased its position in Ecolab by 3.8% during the first quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 1,117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. increased its position in Ecolab by 3.6% during the third quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,218 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Altus USA Inc. raised its stake in Ecolab by 64.2% during 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 period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $287.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ecolab from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research raised Ecolab from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 7th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on 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 given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.53.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.4%

ECL opened at $292.33 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $281.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $275.83. The company has a market cap of $81.95 billion, a PE ratio of 39.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.87. 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 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.18. The firm had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.07 earnings per share. 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $0.73 dividend. 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 is presently 39.19%.

Ecolab News Roundup

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 Company Profile

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.