Handelsbanken Fonder AB Decreases Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its Ecolab stake by 19.7% in the second quarter, selling 37,212 shares and retaining 152,078 shares worth approximately $42.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 in EPS on $4.42 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 9.7% year over year. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $2.13–$2.23.
• Ecolab declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.92 payout and a 1.0% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $327.56 versus the stock’s reported $284.54 price.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB decreased its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 19.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 152,078 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 37,212 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.05% of Ecolab worth $42,370,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $6,649,026,000 after acquiring an additional 137,578 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Ecolab by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,883,084 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,069,468,000 after purchasing an additional 441,747 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,472,599,000 after purchasing an additional 46,569 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors bought a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $1,022,334,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.0%

NYSE ECL opened at $284.54 on Wednesday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.77 billion, a PE ratio of 38.19, a PEG ratio of 2.45 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. The business's 50-day moving average is $273.40 and its 200 day moving average is $273.84.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab 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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