Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension Boosts Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension increased its Ecolab stake by 4.3% in the first quarter, adding 3,967 shares and bringing its total holding to 95,794 shares worth about $25.5 million.
• Insider buying was significant: EVP Benjamin M. Clark and Director Michel D. Doukeris both purchased shares in June, with insiders buying 10,550 shares total worth about $2.72 million over the last quarter.
• Analysts remain upbeat on Ecolab, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $324.29; the company also reported quarterly EPS in line with expectations and raised its FY2026 guidance.

Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension raised its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 4.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 95,794 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 3,967 shares during the quarter. Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension's holdings in Ecolab were worth $25,483,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on ECL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One research 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $324.29.

Ecolab Price Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $274.60 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.28 billion, a PE ratio of 37.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $263.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $272.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

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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