Midwest Trust Co Has $33.71 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Midwest Trust Co boosted its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 126,729 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 2,342 shares during the quarter. Midwest Trust Co’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $33,712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,870,000 after acquiring an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $86,670,000 after purchasing an additional 68,062 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 14.7% during the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 100,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,394,000 after buying an additional 12,890 shares during the period. Finally, HF Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 1,167.3% during the fourth quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 39,869 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,466,000 after buying an additional 36,723 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of ECL traded up $1.57 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $274.60. The stock had a trading volume of 649,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,563,529. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $263.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $272.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $77.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.89.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab’s quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.29.

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.