Saranac Partners Ltd Boosts Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Saranac Partners Ltd increased its Ecolab stake by 20% in the fourth quarter, buying 4,125 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 24,744 shares worth about $6.5 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted their Ecolab positions, while hedge funds and other institutions collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $1.70 and revenue of $4.07 billion, both meeting or slightly topping expectations, and the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Saranac Partners Ltd increased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 20.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,744 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 4,125 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises 2.5% of Saranac Partners Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Saranac Partners Ltd's holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,505,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 164.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $867,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 22.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $5,684,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 49.4% during the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $15,741,000 after buying an additional 19,324 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of Ecolab 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 in the company, valued at approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $245.61 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $69.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $265.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $271.61. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. 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 (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The company 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. 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, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $321.06.

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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