Capital International Inc. CA Takes Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Capital International Inc. CA opened a new position in Ecolab, buying 53,649 shares in the fourth quarter worth about $14.1 million.
• Ecolab reported Q1 earnings of $1.70 per share, matching estimates, on revenue of $4.07 billion, which topped expectations and rose 10% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 1.1%, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $322.53.

Capital International Inc. CA acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 53,649 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $14,084,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,870,000 after purchasing an additional 6,238 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $86,670,000 after buying an additional 68,062 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 48,231 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $13,240,000 after buying an additional 3,464 shares in the last quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 83,379 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $22,834,000 after buying an additional 13,840 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 40.2% in the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 45,495 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $12,459,000 after buying an additional 13,053 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $258.60 on Monday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.34. The stock has a market cap of $72.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.99, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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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