Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Sells 601,228 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management Holding SA cut its Ecolab stake by 15.6% in the first quarter, selling 601,228 shares and leaving it with 3.26 million shares worth about $866.8 million.
• Ecolab’s latest results matched earnings expectations, with Q1 EPS of $1.70 and revenue of $4.07 billion, up 10% year over year. The company also reiterated FY2026 guidance of $8.43-$8.63 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.71. Ecolab also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, payable July 15.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 15.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,259,055 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 601,228 shares during the period. Ecolab makes up about 0.9% of Pictet Asset Management Holding SA's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 1.15% of Ecolab worth $866,818,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Ecolab by 63.1% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,788,497,000 after buying an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth about $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at about $880,506,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 26,152.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 945,072 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $24,810,000 after acquiring an additional 941,472 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 104.7% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,591,274 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $417,747,000 after acquiring an additional 813,996 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 bought a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The stock has a market cap of $79.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.39, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90. The company's 50 day moving average is $261.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.49.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company's revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.71.

About Ecolab

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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