514,890 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Purchased by Man Group plc

Key Points

• Man Group plc purchased 514,890 Ecolab shares worth approximately $143.5 million, giving it a 0.18% stake. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09, narrowly exceeding expectations, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $327.56 price target.
• Ecolab declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.92 payout and a 1.0% yield. Recent insider activity included a director purchase and a CEO sale of shares.

Man Group plc purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 514,890 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $143,454,000. Man Group plc owned approximately 0.18% of Ecolab as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $290.01 on Wednesday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $277.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

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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