29,649 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Purchased by Sanctuary Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Sanctuary Advisors acquired 29,649 Ecolab shares worth approximately $8.26 million in the second quarter, while institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations with $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, up 9.7% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $327.56. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.0% yield.

Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 29,649 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $8,261,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Saranac Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at $6,960,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter valued at $8,127,000. Elefante Mark B bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $279,000. Haverford Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth about $328,000. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth about $9,451,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $287.03 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.46 billion, a PE ratio of 38.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $276.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $273.69. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Mizuho increased their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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.

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