BlackRock Inc. Invests $6.42 Billion in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• BlackRock acquired 23.05 million Ecolab shares worth approximately $6.42 billion in the second quarter, giving it an 8.19% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09, narrowly beating estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $327.56.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to $2.92 annually and a 1.1% yield. A director also purchased nearly $2.0 million of Ecolab stock, while the COO sold about $2.6 million in shares.

BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 23,051,363 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $6,422,340,000. BlackRock Inc. owned approximately 8.19% of Ecolab as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $395,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $192,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 486 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $128,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Oppenheimer upgraded Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $275.87 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $77.33 billion, a PE ratio of 37.03, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88. The company's 50-day moving average is $275.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.67.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during 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%. Ecolab's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. 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 year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab 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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