Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. Invests $3.24 Million in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Sumitomo Life Insurance initiated a $3.24 million position in Ecolab by purchasing 11,643 shares. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of the company.
• Ecolab exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.09 in earnings per share and $4.42 billion in revenue, with revenue rising 9.7% year over year. The company guided for third-quarter EPS of $2.13–$2.23.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Ecolab receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $327.56, above its reported $281.91 share price. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, representing a 1.0% yield.

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. bought a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 11,643 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,244,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $6,649,026,000 after purchasing an additional 137,578 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter valued at $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Ecolab by 63.1% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,788,497,000 after purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Ecolab by 5.9% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,883,084 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,069,468,000 after buying an additional 441,747 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,635,339 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,472,599,000 after buying an additional 46,569 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $281.91 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $276.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $79.03 billion, a PE ratio of 37.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on ECL. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Monday. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $327.56.

Ecolab 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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