Trillium Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 156,801 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $43,687,000. Ecolab accounts for about 1.3% of Trillium Asset Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Ecolab as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ECL. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter worth about $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised 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 buying an additional 4,110,472 shares during the period. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $880,506,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $413,381,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $320.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup upped 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. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research 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 given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on ECL
Ecolab Price Performance
Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $280.73 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $276.23 and a 200-day moving average of $273.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.70 billion, a PE ratio of 37.68, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.88.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab's payout ratio is currently 39.19%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.
Ecolab Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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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