Handelsbanken Fonder AB Trims Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its Ecolab stake by 9.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 21,059 shares and ending with 200,023 shares valued at about $52.5 million.
• Ecolab’s latest earnings met expectations, reporting $1.70 EPS on revenue of $4.07 billion, with revenue up 10% year over year.
• The company maintained a steady dividend and solid analyst support, declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share while analysts keep a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $321.06 price target.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lowered its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 9.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 200,023 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 21,059 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned approximately 0.07% of Ecolab worth $52,510,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Ecolab by 1,375.0% in the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Ecolab by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $245.61 on Wednesday. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $69.13 billion, a PE ratio of 33.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. The business's fifty day moving average is $265.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company 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. Analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ECL shares. Citigroup reduced their target price 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 reduced their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings raised Ecolab from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued 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, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $321.06.

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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