Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Purchased by HighTower Advisors LLC

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors increased its Ecolab stake by 10.7% in the second quarter, adding 9,581 shares to own 99,065 shares valued at approximately $27.6 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 74.91% of Ecolab’s stock.
• 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 issued third-quarter EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Ecolab carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $327.56, compared with a recent share price of $278.45. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 99,065 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,581 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Ecolab were worth $27,600,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 26,161.1% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 129,279,498 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $36,018,561,000 after purchasing an additional 128,787,212 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter valued at about $6,422,340,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $244,381,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,022,334,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Benjamin Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.56.

Ecolab Price Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $278.45 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $78.06 billion, a PE ratio of 37.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.88. The company's 50 day moving average is $278.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $272.66.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Ecolab Profile

Ecolab Inc NYSE: ECL provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company's offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.

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