Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Barclays PLC

Key Points

• Barclays PLC reduced its Ecolab stake by 28.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 213,222 shares and leaving it with 542,676 shares valued at about $142.5 million.
• Ecolab’s latest results were solid, with quarterly EPS of $1.70 matching estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion topping expectations; revenue rose 10% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Ecolab, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $323.41, while the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Barclays PLC lessened its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 28.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 542,676 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 213,222 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned 0.19% of Ecolab worth $142,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Ecolab by 63.1% during 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 purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $880,506,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in Ecolab by 65.2% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,413,099 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $370,967,000 after purchasing an additional 557,555 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Ecolab by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,190,115 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $6,898,565,000 after purchasing an additional 527,902 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $268.88 on Tuesday. 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 $75.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.38, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $261.07 and a 200-day moving average of $271.26.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on ECL. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company 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 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $312.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.41.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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