Mangrove Partners IM LLC Takes Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Mangrove Partners IM LLC disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Ecolab, buying 3,918 shares valued at about $1.03 million.
• Insider buying has picked up, with Director David Maclennan and EVP Benjamin M. Clark both purchasing 1,000 shares each, bringing total insider purchases to 10,550 shares worth about $2.72 million over the last 90 days.
• Ecolab’s fundamentals and outlook remain solid: the company beat revenue estimates in its latest quarter, raised full-year guidance, and analysts currently hold a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $323.41.

Mangrove Partners IM LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 3,918 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,029,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 88.7% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price 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 $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup decreased their target price on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.41.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL opened at $274.15 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $261.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $77.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

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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