3,354,053 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Acquired by Norges Bank

Key Points

• Norges Bank opened a major new position in Ecolab, buying 3,354,053 shares worth about $880.5 million in the fourth quarter and ending with roughly 1.18% ownership.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $1.70 in line with estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion beating expectations; revenue rose 10% year over year and the company issued FY 2026 guidance of $8.43 to $8.63 EPS.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, while analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $322.53.

Norges Bank acquired a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 3,354,053 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $880,506,000. Norges Bank owned about 1.18% of Ecolab at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Ecolab by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,190,115 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $6,898,565,000 after purchasing an additional 527,902 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in Ecolab by 195.9% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 670,778 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $183,699,000 after acquiring an additional 444,053 shares during the period. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $113,287,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in Ecolab by 594.6% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 493,525 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $129,560,000 after acquiring an additional 422,471 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $193,753,000 after acquiring an additional 389,981 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.5%

ECL opened at $256.28 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.92. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $261.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate 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%. The firm's revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock 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 given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.53.

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.

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