Prudential PLC Has $23.78 Million Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Prudential PLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 10.3% in Q3 to 86,838 shares, valued at about $23.78 million at quarter-end.
• Insider selling accelerated recently: Director Tracy B. McKibben sold 1,265 shares (~$390k) and CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares (~$6.15M), cutting their holdings by 10.02% and 18.05%, respectively.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.56 (several firms raising targets to $330–$345), while Ecolab issued FY2026 EPS guidance of 8.430–8.630 and Q1 guidance of 1.670–1.730.

Prudential PLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 10.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 86,838 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 8,083 shares during the period. Prudential PLC's holdings in Ecolab were worth $23,781,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 81.5% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter worth $47,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 target price on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $274.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $287.11 and a 200-day moving average of $274.53. The stock has a market cap of $77.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.65, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.97.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The business had revenue of $4.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.11%.

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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