B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Buys New Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG initiated a position in Ecolab during the second quarter, purchasing 12,462 shares worth approximately $3.47 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $2.09 per share, narrowly beating estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company guided for third-quarter 2026 earnings of $2.13–$2.23 per share.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $327.56, despite one recent “Strong Sell” downgrade. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to a 1.0% annualized yield.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 12,462 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,472,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 28,866 shares of company stock valued at $7,878,801. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. 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 research report on Thursday, July 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%

ECL stock opened at $281.91 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $79.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The business's 50 day moving average is $276.56 and its 200-day moving average is $273.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

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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