Ally Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 12,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,343,000.
Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,788,497,000 after acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $880,506,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at $413,381,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.
Ecolab Price Performance
Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $281.91 on Monday. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $276.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.19%.
Insider Activity
In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms have commented on ECL. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Ecolab
Ecolab Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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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