Ecolab Inc. $ECL Position Lessened by Avity Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Avity Investment Management reduced its Ecolab stake by 12.7% in the second quarter, selling 17,248 shares and retaining 118,161 shares valued at approximately $32.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09 and revenue of $4.42 billion, modestly exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56 versus the reported share price of $284.86. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.0% annualized yield.

Avity Investment Management Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 12.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 118,161 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 17,248 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises about 2.1% of Avity Investment Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Avity Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $32,921,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $6,649,026,000 after acquiring an additional 137,578 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,788,497,000 after acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Ecolab by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,883,084 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,069,468,000 after buying an additional 441,747 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,472,599,000 after purchasing an additional 46,569 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.5%

Ecolab stock opened at $284.86 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.88. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $272.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.76. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased a total of 9,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,513,980 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Company 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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