Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Sells 52,511 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA cut its Ecolab stake by 31% in the first quarter, selling 52,511 shares and leaving it with 116,879 shares valued at about $29.5 million.
• Ecolab reported solid quarterly results, matching EPS estimates at $1.70 and topping revenue expectations with $4.07 billion, while revenue rose 10% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $323.71.

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA reduced its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 31.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 116,879 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 52,511 shares during the quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA's holdings in Ecolab were worth $29,506,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ECL. Cambient Family Office LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC now owns 1,220 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $325,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Northeast Investment Management boosted its stake in Ecolab by 2.4% during the first quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 5,889 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,567,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter valued at $3,458,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 4.8% in the first quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,195 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $323,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 7,474 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,988,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $79.85 billion, a PE ratio of 38.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.90. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $261.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $271.49. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during 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%.Ecolab's quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on ECL shares. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup increased their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $326.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $323.71.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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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