Pacer Advisors Inc. Purchases 4,015 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Ecolab by 19.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 4,015 more shares and bringing its total holding to 24,384 shares worth about $6.4 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors owning 74.91% of Ecolab shares. Several other firms also recently added small positions, while insiders showed mixed activity with one director selling and an EVP buying shares.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $1.70, matching expectations, and revenue of $4.07 billion, topping estimates. The company also raised its FY2026 guidance and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share payable July 15.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 19.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,015 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,401,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted 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. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.41.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ECL opened at $269.71 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.50, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $261.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.15. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 presently 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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