Handelsbanken Fonder AB Buys 3,428 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 221,082 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,428 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned 0.08% of Ecolab worth $60,546,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 81.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 93.6% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 151 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a 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 report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE:ECL opened at $306.42 on Friday. 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 business’s 50-day simple moving average is $281.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.97. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.40 billion, a PE ratio of 42.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $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. Sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

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.