Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Towne Trust Company N.A

Towne Trust Company N.A cut its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 13.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 16,292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,605 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for approximately 1.4% of Towne Trust Company N.A’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Towne Trust Company N.A’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $4,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cambient Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 8.8% in the first quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC now owns 1,220 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $325,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Northeast Investment Management lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.4% during the first quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 5,889 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,567,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth $3,458,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,195 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 7,474 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,988,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.71.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.39, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. The company’s fifty day moving average is $261.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted 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. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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. Analysts forecast 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 issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

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.