Geode Capital Management LLC Grows Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its Ecolab stake by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 5.64 million shares valued at about $1.47 billion.
• Ecolab beat revenue expectations in its latest quarter, posting $4.07 billion in sales versus the $4.03 billion estimate and matching EPS expectations at $1.70. The company also said revenue rose 10% year over year.
• Analysts remain mostly bullish on Ecolab, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $322.53. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, or $2.92 annually.

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 46,569 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 1.99% of Ecolab worth $1,472,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its position in Ecolab by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 933,077 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $244,951,000 after acquiring an additional 6,341 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas now owns 2,632 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $691,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 124.7% in the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,735 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $455,000 after buying an additional 963 shares in the last quarter. Allstate Corp increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 108.7% in the fourth quarter. Allstate Corp now owns 19,547 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,131,000 after buying an additional 10,183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 31.8% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,082 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $547,000 after buying an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.8%

Ecolab stock opened at $260.45 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $73.30 billion, a PE ratio of 35.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $262.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $271.52. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week 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.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. 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 research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors 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 yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings cut Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Citigroup dropped their price target on 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 upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $322.53.

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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