Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension Takes $24.11 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension initiated a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter, buying 91,827 shares valued at about $24.11 million.
• Ecolab reported Q1 earnings of $1.70 per share, matching estimates, while revenue of $4.07 billion came in slightly above expectations and rose 10% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, payable July 15, and analysts remain broadly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and average price target of $322.53.

Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 91,827 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $24,106,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Conning Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 18,788 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,932,000 after purchasing an additional 1,956 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 6.2% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 4,044 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,062,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Freemont Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 196.8% in the fourth quarter. Freemont Management S.A. now owns 18,400 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,830,000 after purchasing an additional 12,200 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Cardinal Point Capital Management ULC now owns 1,312 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Catalyst Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL stock opened at $249.14 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $70.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.71, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $267.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $272.05. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $248.60 and a one year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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 analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ECL shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.53.

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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