Capital Research Global Investors Sells 86,731 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Capital Research Global Investors trimmed its Ecolab stake by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 86,731 shares and leaving it with 1,329,156 shares valued at about $348.9 million.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, posting $1.70 EPS in line with estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion, up 10% year over year. The company also reaffirmed guidance, with FY 2026 EPS projected at $8.43-$8.63.
• Ecolab announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, payable July 15 to shareholders of record on June 16, representing an annualized dividend of $2.92 and a yield of about 1.1%.

Capital Research Global Investors reduced its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,329,156 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 86,731 shares during the quarter. Capital Research Global Investors owned 0.47% of Ecolab worth $348,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 164.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $867,000 after acquiring an additional 2,302 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 39.8% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in Ecolab by 22.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 0.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $5,684,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in Ecolab by 49.4% during the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $15,741,000 after acquiring an additional 19,324 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%

ECL stock opened at $258.60 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $261.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.34. 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 $72.78 billion, a PE ratio of 34.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab's revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $322.53.

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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