Sarasin & Partners LLP Grows Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Sarasin & Partners increased its Ecolab position by 12.2% in the second quarter, adding 37,483 shares and bringing its holdings to 343,707 shares valued at approximately $95.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $327.56. Recent targets range from $295 to $345.
• Ecolab slightly exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 in EPS and $4.42 billion in revenue, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year. Shares opened at $283.29, with the company valued at roughly $79.7 billion.

Sarasin & Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 12.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 343,707 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 37,483 shares during the period. Ecolab makes up about 1.1% of Sarasin & Partners LLP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. Sarasin & Partners LLP owned approximately 0.12% of Ecolab worth $95,760,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ECL. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $327.56.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.8%

Ecolab stock opened at $283.29 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The firm's 50-day moving average is $271.60 and its 200-day moving average is $273.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. The company has a market cap of $79.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.03, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. Ecolab's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 9,750 shares of company stock worth $2,513,980. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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