Vontobel Holding Ltd. Cuts Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Key Points

• Vontobel Holding Ltd. cut its Ecolab stake by 37.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 644,166 shares and ending with 1,074,245 shares valued at about $282 million.
• Insider trading was mixed: Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares for about $2.0 million, while COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares for about $2.6 million.
• Ecolab’s fundamentals and shareholder returns remain solid, with quarterly EPS meeting estimates, revenue topping forecasts, and the company announcing a $0.73 quarterly dividend.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Free Report) by 37.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,074,245 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 644,166 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. owned 0.38% of Ecolab worth $282,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Peak Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $664,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,468,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $910,423,000 after buying an additional 40,288 shares during the period. Cullen Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC now owns 956 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $251,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. raised its holdings in Ecolab by 19.3% in the fourth quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 78,723 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $20,666,000 after buying an additional 12,751 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired a total of 9,550 shares of company stock worth $2,455,678 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $265.53 on Friday. 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 Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a 50 day moving average of $260.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.27. The company has a market capitalization of $74.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab's revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business 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 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $323.41.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michel Doukeris made a sizable purchase of 7,750 Ecolab shares at $258 each, a multi-million-dollar bet that can signal confidence in the company’s outlook. Michel Doukeris Acquires 7,750 Shares of Ecolab NYSE: ECL Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to show solid operating fundamentals, with its last quarterly earnings meeting EPS expectations and revenue coming in above estimates, while full-year guidance remains intact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab also confirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name rather than a pure growth story.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed but generally favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a price target above current trading levels, though Erste Group recently trimmed its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though the sale appears to be relatively modest compared with his remaining stake. Ecolab NYSE: ECL COO Sells $2,608,900.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analyst commentary has focused on valuation concerns, suggesting Ecolab’s premium multiple could limit upside if growth expectations cool. Is S&P 500 Valuation Scrutiny Weighing on Ecolab's Premium?

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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