Zevin Asset Management LLC Cuts Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Zevin Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 8.9% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 64,463 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 6,316 shares during the period. Ecolab comprises 2.6% of Zevin Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Zevin Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $17,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Group Ltd increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Ecolab by 4.3% during the third quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLC now owns 975 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,201 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $329,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 916 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the period. Finally, Level Four Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,246,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $304.07 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $278.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.13 billion, a PE ratio of 41.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $221.62 and a one year high of $306.52.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 40.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Ecolab from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.76.

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.