United Capital Financial Advisors LLC Buys New Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• United Capital Financial Advisors purchased 10,413 Ecolab shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $2.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.91% of Ecolab.
• Ecolab reported quarterly EPS of $2.09, slightly exceeding expectations, while revenue rose 9.7% year over year to $4.42 billion. The company issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $2.13–$2.23.
• Ecolab declared a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.92 payout and a 1.0% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $327.56.

United Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 10,413 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $2,901,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab during the second quarter worth $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $287.06 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company has a 50-day moving average of $278.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $273.80. The company has a market cap of $80.47 billion, a PE ratio of 38.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.88. 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 (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. Ecolab's revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Zacks Research cut shares of Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased 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 $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

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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