ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Cuts Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank N.V. trimmed its Ecolab stake by 2.9% in the first quarter, leaving it with 118,783 shares worth about $31.9 million.
• Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $1.70 per share and revenue of $4.07 billion, both in line or slightly above expectations, while revenue rose 10% year over year. The company also reaffirmed guidance and continues to project steady earnings growth.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on the stock, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $323.71. UBS recently upgraded Ecolab to buy, and the company also announced a $0.73 quarterly dividend payable July 15.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. decreased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 2.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 118,783 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 3,531 shares during the period. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $31,913,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $261.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $271.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.39, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on ECL. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab 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 trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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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