Trillium Asset Management LLC Decreases Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Trillium Asset Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 181,469 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 28,140 shares during the period. Ecolab accounts for 1.5% of Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $48,203,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 38.7% during 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 purchasing an additional 6,238 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $86,670,000 after purchasing an additional 68,062 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 7.7% during the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $13,240,000 after purchasing an additional 3,464 shares in the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $43,464,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 19.9% during the third quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 83,379 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $22,834,000 after purchasing an additional 13,840 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $265.53 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $260.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $271.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 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.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its 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 analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.51%.

Trending Headlines about Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michel Doukeris made a sizable purchase of 7,750 Ecolab shares at $258 each, a multi-million-dollar bet that can signal confidence in the company’s outlook. Michel Doukeris Acquires 7,750 Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to show solid operating fundamentals, with its last quarterly earnings meeting EPS expectations and revenue coming in above estimates, while full-year guidance remains intact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab also confirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name rather than a pure growth story.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed but generally favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a price target above current trading levels, though Erste Group recently trimmed its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though the sale appears to be relatively modest compared with his remaining stake. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) COO Sells $2,608,900.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analyst commentary has focused on valuation concerns, suggesting Ecolab’s premium multiple could limit upside if growth expectations cool. Is S&P 500 Valuation Scrutiny Weighing on Ecolab’s Premium?

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased 9,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,455,678 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ECL. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. 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 report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.41.

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.