ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Buys New Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank purchased 122,561 Ecolab shares worth approximately $34.1 million during the second quarter, while institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09, narrowly beating estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $327.56 versus the stock’s $276.28 opening price. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.1% annualized yield.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 122,561 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $34,123,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. S&CO Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth approximately $62,927,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth $509,000. Avalon Trust Co purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth $251,000. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter worth $350,000. Finally, Bridgewater Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at about $245,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the firm's 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE ECL opened at $276.28 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $77.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.89 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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 paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. 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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