Equitable Holdings Inc. Takes Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Equitable Holdings initiated a position in Ecolab during the second quarter, buying 9,080 shares valued at approximately $2.53 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab’s stock.
• Ecolab reported quarterly revenue of $4.42 billion and adjusted earnings of $2.09 per share, narrowly exceeding analyst estimates, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $2.13 to $2.23.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Ecolab receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56 versus its reported share price of $287.06. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to a 1.0% annual yield.

Equitable Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 9,080 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,530,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $287.06 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $278.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $273.80. The stock has a market cap of $80.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on ECL shares. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Oppenheimer upgraded Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup increased their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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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