Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Takes $11.56 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Rakuten Investment Management purchased 41,480 Ecolab shares in the second quarter, establishing a position worth approximately $11.56 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab’s stock.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 earnings per share and $4.42 billion in revenue, with revenue increasing 9.7% year over year. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56, while Ecolab announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, yielding approximately 1.0%.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 41,480 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $11,556,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $287.06 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $278.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $273.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source