Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Trillium Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Trillium Asset Management cut its Ecolab stake by 13.4% in the fourth quarter, but still held 181,469 shares worth about $48.2 million, making Ecolab its 11th-largest position.
• Ecolab’s latest quarterly results were solid: EPS met expectations at $1.70 and revenue beat estimates at $4.07 billion, while the company kept its FY2026 guidance intact.
• The company continues to reward shareholders with a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, and analysts remain generally positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and price target above the current share price.

Trillium Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 13.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 181,469 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 28,140 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises 1.5% of Trillium Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Ecolab worth $48,203,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Ecolab by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $6,649,026,000 after purchasing an additional 137,578 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased 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. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,472,599,000 after purchasing an additional 46,569 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its stake in Ecolab by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,860,283 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,013,557,000 after purchasing an additional 202,449 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Ecolab

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?

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders bought 9,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,455,678. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.41.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.7%

ECL stock opened at $265.53 on Friday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $260.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $271.27. The company has a market capitalization of $74.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. The business'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 research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

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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