M&T Bank Corp Acquires 422,471 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in Ecolab by 594.6%, acquiring 422,471 shares to hold 493,525 shares worth about $129.6 million (roughly 0.17% of the company) at the end of Q4.
• Ecolab reported Q4 EPS of $2.08 (beat by $0.01) and revenue of $4.19 billion (up 4.8% YoY), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 8.430–8.630, and carries a market cap of $76.5 billion with a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of $322.82.
• Corporate insiders sold shares recently (the CEO sold 20,000 shares for about $6.15 million and a director sold 1,265 shares), and the company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.73 (annualized $2.92, yield ~1.1%, payout ratio ~40%).

M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 594.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 493,525 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 422,471 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp owned approximately 0.17% of Ecolab worth $129,560,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $270.99 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $76.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.22, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $280.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $273.73. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $233.73 and a one year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm's revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 40.11%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $322.82.

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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