Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,163,724 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $324,186,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.42% of Ecolab as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the first quarter worth $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company's stock.
Insider Transactions at Ecolab
In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This represents a 19.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer raised Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Ecolab
Ecolab Stock Up 1.1%
Shares of ECL opened at $290.01 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $81.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.93, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The stock's 50 day moving average is $277.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's payout ratio is 39.19%.
About Ecolab
(
Free Report)
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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