Groupe la Francaise Boosts Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise increased its Ecolab stake by 35.3% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 26,505 shares valued at approximately $7.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09, narrowly exceeding expectations, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Ecolab shares opened at $279.91, while analysts maintained a generally positive outlook with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Groupe la Francaise increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 35.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,505 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,909 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in Ecolab were worth $7,388,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ECL. Vancity Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.4% during the second quarter. Vancity Investment Management Ltd now owns 2,859 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $797,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in Ecolab by 26,161.1% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 129,279,498 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $36,018,561,000 after purchasing an additional 128,787,212 shares during the last quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 3,576 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $999,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at $224,000. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 3,600 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $987,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of ECL opened at $279.91 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.47 billion, a PE ratio of 37.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $278.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $272.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. 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. Analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost 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 $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on ECL shares. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

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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