Andra AP fonden Decreases Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Andra AP fonden cut its Ecolab stake by 27.5% in the second quarter, selling 27,200 shares and retaining 71,645 shares valued at approximately $19.96 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares for about $5.0 million, reducing his direct ownership by 19.67%; insiders now own 0.50% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09 and revenue of $4.42 billion, exceeding estimates, while maintaining a $0.73 quarterly dividend. Analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $327.56.

Andra AP fonden lessened its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 27.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,645 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 27,200 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Ecolab were worth $19,961,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Altus USA Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.2% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 7.4% in the second quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 3,878 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,080,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the period. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC now owns 3,277 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $913,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Core Capital Management & Research inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 13.8% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 41,300 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $11,507,000 after acquiring an additional 5,014 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE ECL traded up $4.66 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $274.64. 248,872 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,461,478. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $76.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.91, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $277.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $270.65.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.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 posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm 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. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc NYSE: ECL provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company's offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.

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