New York State Teachers Retirement System Sells 5,488 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

New York State Teachers Retirement System decreased its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 192,863 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 5,488 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $52,817,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 164.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its stake in Ecolab by 141.0% during the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. Modern Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at $284,000. Kera Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at $276,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 16.4% during the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 12,058 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,697 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 target price on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.92.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $271.74 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $263.62 and its 200 day moving average is $268.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.97 billion, a PE ratio of 39.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $221.62 and a 1 year high of $286.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.07. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. This trade represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 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.