Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Acquired by Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE

Key Points

• Smithbridge Asset Management more than doubled its Ecolab stake in the fourth quarter, buying 20,587 additional shares to bring its total to 40,832 shares worth about $10.7 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased exposure, and overall 74.91% of Ecolab’s stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Ecolab reported Q1 earnings in line with expectations at $1.70 per share on revenue of $4.07 billion, while analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $323.41.

Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE grew its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 101.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,832 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,587 shares during the quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE's holdings in Ecolab were worth $10,719,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 164.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of 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 during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 22.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $314,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,684,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 49.4% in the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $15,741,000 after purchasing an additional 19,324 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Citigroup cut their price target on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Mizuho set a $335.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $323.41.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $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 available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $256.72 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $261.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $271.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.25 billion, a PE ratio of 34.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced 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 company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. The firm's 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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

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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