Teza Capital Management LLC Sells 3,107 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Teza Capital Management LLC significantly reduced its holdings in Ecolab Inc. by 68.0%, now owning only 1,463 shares valued at approximately $371,000.
• Multiple institutional investors have increased their stakes in Ecolab, with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC leading the way with a 19.3% increase during the first quarter.
• Ecolab announced a quarterly dividend of $0.65 per share, set to be paid on October 15th, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.9%.

Teza Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 68.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,463 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 3,107 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLC's holdings in Ecolab were worth $371,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,449 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $367,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Palumbo Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 5.0% in the first quarter. Palumbo Wealth Management LLC now owns 902 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 2.0% in the first quarter. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC now owns 2,199 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $525,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,170 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $297,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1.8% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,774 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE ECL traded up $6.20 on Thursday, reaching $275.29. The company had a trading volume of 930,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,168,790. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $272.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $261.28. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $286.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.08 billion, a PE ratio of 36.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.90 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.52% and a net margin of 13.59%. Ecolab has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 7.420-7.620 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 16th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Ecolab's payout ratio is presently 34.71%.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, SVP Jennifer J. Bradway sold 807 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.28, for a total value of $225,378.96. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,208,165.28. The trade was a 15.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,354 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.16, for a total value of $383,398.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,199 shares in the company, valued at $3,171,108.84. This represents a 10.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ECL shares. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $260.00 target price on Ecolab and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Ecolab from $307.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $292.00.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Global Industrial; Global Institutional & Specialty; and Global Healthcare & Life Sciences. The Global Industrial segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, metals and mining, power generation, pulp and paper, commercial laundry, petroleum, refining, and petrochemical industries.