Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC Purchases New Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors acquired 5,478 Ecolab shares worth approximately $1.53 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab’s stock.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, with revenue up 9.7% year over year. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $2.13–$2.23.
• Ecolab declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.92 and a 1.1% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $327.56.

Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 5,478 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,526,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE ECL opened at $276.28 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $274.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.80. 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 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $77.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on ECL shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $327.56.

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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