Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. Sells 37,700 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Adams Diversified Equity Fund cut its Ecolab stake by 52.2% in the first quarter, selling 37,700 shares and ending with 34,500 shares valued at about $9.18 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on Ecolab remains constructive, with multiple firms raising ratings or price targets; the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $323.71.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, matching EPS estimates at $1.70 and posting $4.07 billion in revenue, while also reaffirming guidance and declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. lessened its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 52.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 37,700 shares during the quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $9,178,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.71.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $79.85 billion, a PE ratio of 38.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90. The firm's fifty day moving average is $261.68 and its 200-day moving average is $271.49.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current 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 paid a $0.73 dividend. 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, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 value of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were 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 trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 over the last 90 days. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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