Ecolab Inc. $ECL Stock Holdings Lowered by Confluence Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Confluence Investment Management cut its Ecolab stake by 6.6% in the second quarter, selling 5,873 shares and retaining 83,581 shares valued at approximately $23.3 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, with revenue rising 9.7% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56, compared with the stock’s reported price of $279.07. Ecolab also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding about 1.0%.

Confluence Investment Management LLC lessened its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 6.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 83,581 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 5,873 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC's holdings in Ecolab were worth $23,286,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $279.07 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $270.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $273.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $78.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $327.56.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased 9,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,513,980 in the last quarter. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ecolab Company 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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