Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Clearbridge Investments LLC

Clearbridge Investments LLC decreased its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 588,877 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 25,006 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $154,592,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% during the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,870,000 after acquiring an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $86,670,000 after acquiring an additional 68,062 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 7.7% during the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $13,240,000 after acquiring an additional 3,464 shares during the last quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 19.9% during the third quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 83,379 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $22,834,000 after acquiring an additional 13,840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 40.2% during the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 45,495 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $12,459,000 after acquiring an additional 13,053 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:ECL opened at $258.60 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $72.78 billion, a PE ratio of 34.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $261.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $271.34.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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, equities research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Mizuho set a $335.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment 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 MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.