AMG National Trust Bank Purchases New Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• AMG National Trust Bank purchased 27,508 Ecolab shares in the second quarter, worth approximately $7.66 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $2.09 per share and revenue of $4.42 billion, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Ecolab receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $327.56 versus its share price of $276.28. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding approximately 1.1%.

AMG National Trust Bank purchased a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 27,508 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $7,664,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $276.28 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $274.64 and a 200-day moving average of $273.73. The firm has a market cap of $77.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

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 firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average price 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 $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

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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