Allworth Financial LP Makes New Investment in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Allworth Financial initiated a $8.76 million position in Ecolab during the second quarter by purchasing 31,444 shares. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $2.09 per share, slightly exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $327.56 target price versus the stock’s reported $280.73 price. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding approximately 1.0%.

Allworth Financial LP bought a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 31,444 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $8,761,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,472,000. AlpenGlobal Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,775,000. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $399,000. Finally, PCM Encore LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $290,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on ECL. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research lowered Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.7%

Ecolab stock opened at $280.73 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $276.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.67. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The company's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts forecast 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 issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock valued at $7,878,801 in the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Ecolab

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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