National Pension Service Purchases 5,829 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• National Pension Service increased its Ecolab stake by 0.8%, purchasing 5,829 shares to own 768,265 shares valued at approximately $214 million. Institutional investors hold 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $2.09 EPS on $4.42 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $327.56 price target.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.1% yield, while CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares worth roughly $5 million.

National Pension Service boosted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 0.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 768,265 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,829 shares during the period. National Pension Service owned 0.27% of Ecolab worth $214,046,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ECL. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE:ECL opened at $271.72 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. The firm's fifty day moving average is $278.51 and its 200-day moving average is $272.23. The firm has a market cap of $76.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Key Stories Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying suggests increased bullish interest. Traders purchased 2,926 call options, approximately 241% above the average volume of 858 contracts, although options activity does not guarantee a sustained stock move.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Ecolab from “strong sell” to “hold,” reducing a significant source of negative analyst sentiment. Ecolab upgraded by Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab’s growth profile continues to benefit from high-tech customers, digital expansion and innovation. The company also delivered solid second-quarter results, with revenue growth and earnings slightly exceeding consensus estimates. Here's Why You Should Retain Ecolab Stock in Your Portfolio Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s third-quarter earnings guidance of $2.13 to $2.23 per share provides a framework for continued profit growth, while analysts project full-year earnings of $8.17 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost fluctuations remain a key risk because they could pressure margins and offset benefits from digital initiatives, innovation and revenue growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Ecolab underperformed its competitors during the latest session, and the stock recently experienced additional selling pressure. The relative weakness suggests investors remain cautious despite the company’s fundamentally solid results. Ecolab Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

Ecolab Profile

Ecolab Inc NYSE: ECL provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company's offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.

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