Franklin Resources Inc. Has $686.02 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Franklin Resources trimmed its Ecolab stake by 1.4% in the fourth quarter but still held 2.61 million shares valued at about $686 million, making it a significant institutional owner.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, with EPS of $1.70 matching estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion topping expectations; revenue rose 10% year over year and the company reaffirmed upbeat FY 2026 guidance.
• The company also raised shareholder returns with a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, while analysts maintained a generally positive view with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $322.53.

Franklin Resources Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 1.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,613,205 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 37,711 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.92% of Ecolab worth $686,019,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 164.7% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 39.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 22.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $314,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,684,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 19,324 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE ECL opened at $257.41 on Tuesday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $72.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.83, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.90. The stock's 50 day moving average is $261.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

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

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 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, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, 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 SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One 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 company. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.53.

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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