Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Benjamin Edwards Inc.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lowered its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 13.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 123,309 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 19,441 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $34,355,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $287.06 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $278.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. 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 issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The firm 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 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. Equities analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ECL shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $285,727.89. This trade 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Ecolab

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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