AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC Invests $1.67 Million in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• AssuredPartners Investment Advisors purchased 6,004 Ecolab shares worth approximately $1.67 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab’s outstanding stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56; targets range from $295 to $360.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding approximately 1.0% annually.

AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,004 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,673,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Zacks Research downgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $285.28 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $79.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.29, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $275.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.68.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly 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 SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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