Copeland Capital Management LLC Acquires New Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Copeland Capital Management opened a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter, buying 33,115 shares valued at about $8.8 million.
• Ecolab’s latest quarterly results showed EPS of $1.70, matching analyst expectations, while revenue of $4.07 billion topped estimates and rose 10% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly optimistic: Ecolab has a Moderate Buy consensus rating with an average price target of $324.06, while the company also continues its dividend, paying $0.73 per share quarterly.

Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 33,115 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $8,809,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $272.91 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.81 billion, a PE ratio of 36.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.89. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $264.97 and a 200-day moving average of $273.03. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.13 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued 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 was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, 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 report on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $324.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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