Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Bought by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Key Points

• Arrowstreet Capital increased its Ecolab stake by 65.2% in the fourth quarter, adding more than 557,000 shares and bringing its holding to about 1.41 million shares valued at roughly $371 million.
• Insider buying was notable, with directors David Maclennan and Michel Doukeris purchasing shares recently; Doukeris made the larger buy, acquiring 7,750 shares for nearly $2.0 million.
• Ecolab posted solid results and maintained guidance, with quarterly EPS matching estimates, revenue topping forecasts, and FY2026 EPS guidance set at $8.43 to $8.63. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 65.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,413,099 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 557,555 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned 0.50% of Ecolab worth $370,967,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price 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. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 9,550 shares of company stock worth $2,455,678 over the last 90 days. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $265.53 on Monday. 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 Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $260.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.73 billion, a PE ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company 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 firm posted $1.50 EPS. The firm'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. As a group, research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid 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 of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Ecolab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michel Doukeris made a sizable purchase of 7,750 Ecolab shares at $258 each, a multi-million-dollar bet that can signal confidence in the company’s outlook. Michel Doukeris Acquires 7,750 Shares of Ecolab NYSE: ECL Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to show solid operating fundamentals, with its last quarterly earnings meeting EPS expectations and revenue coming in above estimates, while full-year guidance remains intact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab also confirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name rather than a pure growth story.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed but generally favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a price target above current trading levels, though Erste Group recently trimmed its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though the sale appears to be relatively modest compared with his remaining stake. Ecolab NYSE: ECL COO Sells $2,608,900.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analyst commentary has focused on valuation concerns, suggesting Ecolab’s premium multiple could limit upside if growth expectations cool. Is S&P 500 Valuation Scrutiny Weighing on Ecolab's Premium?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.41.

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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