Swedbank AB Has $457.23 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Swedbank AB increased its Ecolab stake by 5.6% in the first quarter, ending with 1,718,777 shares valued at about $457.2 million.
• Insider buying picked up recently, with directors David Maclennan and Michel D. Doukeris purchasing shares; insiders bought 10,550 shares over the last 90 days worth about $2.72 million.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, matching EPS estimates and beating revenue expectations, while also issuing guidance for FY2026 and maintaining a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share.

Swedbank AB boosted its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,718,777 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 90,437 shares during the quarter. Swedbank AB owned approximately 0.61% of Ecolab worth $457,229,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available 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 stock was acquired at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.4%

ECL traded up $1.20 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $284.92. 237,205 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,531,214. The stock has a market cap of $80.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.55, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The stock's 50-day moving average is $262.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $272.33. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab's payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on ECL. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $323.71.

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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