Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Genus Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Genus Capital Management cut its Ecolab stake by 22.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 5,200 shares and ending with 18,231 shares valued at about $4.79 million.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $1.70, matching estimates, while revenue rose 10% year over year to $4.07 billion. The company also reaffirmed outlook with FY 2026 EPS guidance of $8.43 to $8.63.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, or $2.92 annually, implying a 1.2% yield. Separately, analyst sentiment remains positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $320.65.

Genus Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 22.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,231 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 5,200 shares during the period. Genus Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $4,786,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ECL. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 164.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $867,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $253.33 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $263.35 and a 200-day moving average of $271.48. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27. 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 company has a market cap of $71.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.28, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.92.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter 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 analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $320.65.

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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