Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. decreased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 20.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,159 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,106 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $3,330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth about $847,544,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Ecolab by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,190,115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,898,565,000 after purchasing an additional 527,902 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 115.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 727,370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $193,753,000 after purchasing an additional 389,981 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in Ecolab by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $240,676,000 after purchasing an additional 344,541 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bornite Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $68,465,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL opened at $305.39 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $279.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $273.27. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $306.52. The firm has a market cap of $86.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.Ecolab’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up previously from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

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.