Cibc World Market Inc. Grows Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 77.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,670 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 9,041 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $5,426,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC increased 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 worth $270,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $395,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 22.0% in the fourth quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% 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 David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $258.60 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $261.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $271.34. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $72.78 billion, a P/E 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company'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. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the subject of several recent research reports. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $345.00 price target (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings cut Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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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