Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. Lowers Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Adams Natural Resources Fund cut its Ecolab stake by 25.9% in the first quarter, selling 11,000 shares and leaving it with 31,400 shares valued at about $8.35 million.
• Insider trading was mixed: COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares, while Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares. Over the last three months, insiders have been net buyers of 10,550 shares.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish on Ecolab, with several firms raising price targets and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy with an average target of $323.71. The stock also reported solid quarterly results, including revenue and EPS that met or topped expectations.

Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 25.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,400 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 11,000 shares during the quarter. Ecolab makes up 1.0% of Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Adams Natural Resources Fund Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $8,353,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.71.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. The firm 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $271.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $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. Equities analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Ecolab 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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