Sheets Smith Wealth Management Sells 6,570 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Sheets Smith Wealth Management reduced its Ecolab stake by 15.4% in the first quarter, selling 6,570 shares and leaving it with 36,211 shares worth about $9.63 million.
• Ecolab reported Q1 earnings of $1.70 per share, matching expectations, while revenue of $4.07 billion slightly topped estimates and rose 10% year over year.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, and recent insider buying included purchases by directors David MacLennan and Michel D. Doukeris.

Sheets Smith Wealth Management decreased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 15.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,211 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 6,570 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for about 1.1% of Sheets Smith Wealth Management's portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position. Sheets Smith Wealth Management's holdings in Ecolab were worth $9,633,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE:ECL opened at $269.71 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $261.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.16. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $75.91 billion, a PE ratio of 36.50, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.41.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director 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 acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 in the last quarter. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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