Eastern Bank Purchases 4,807 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Eastern Bank increased its Ecolab position by 3.7% in the second quarter, purchasing 4,807 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 134,854 shares valued at approximately $37.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $2.09 per share, slightly exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company provided third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Ecolab carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56, versus a recent share price of $279.07. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding about 1.0%.

Eastern Bank boosted its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 3.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 134,854 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 4,807 shares during the period. Eastern Bank's holdings in Ecolab were worth $37,571,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 9,750 shares of company stock worth $2,513,980. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.5%

ECL opened at $279.07 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company's 50 day moving average price is $270.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.46, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. Ecolab's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on ECL shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has a consensus 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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