Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Boosts Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management dramatically increased its Ecolab stake by 2,621% in Q4, ending with 280,723 shares worth about $73.7 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mostly positive: analysts have an average “Moderate Buy” rating on Ecolab, with a consensus price target of $322.53.
• Ecolab reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.70 matching estimates and revenue of $4.07 billion topping forecasts, while also raising guidance and announcing a $0.73 quarterly dividend.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 2,621.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 280,723 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 270,406 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned approximately 0.10% of Ecolab worth $73,695,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ECL. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $322.53.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $247.50 on Monday. 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 Inc. has a 52-week low of $245.25 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The stock's 50 day moving average is $266.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.83. The company has a market capitalization of $69.66 billion, a PE ratio of 33.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.92.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Company 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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