AlpenGlobal Capital LLC Acquires New Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• AlpenGlobal Capital acquired 13,549 Ecolab shares worth approximately $3.8 million in the second quarter, making Ecolab its 16th-largest holding. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09 and revenue of $4.42 billion, modestly exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $327.56, compared with a recent share price of $280.73. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.0% yield.

AlpenGlobal Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 13,549 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,775,000. Ecolab makes up 2.4% of AlpenGlobal Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $280.73 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $276.23 and a 200-day moving average of $273.67. The company has a market capitalization of $78.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $4.42 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock valued at $7,878,801 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. 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.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

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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