Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan

Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan decreased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 8.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 34,377 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,246 shares during the period. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $9,578,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $287.06 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one 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. The firm has a market cap of $80.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $278.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.80.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Company 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.