UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Grows Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,468,013 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,288 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned approximately 1.22% of Ecolab worth $910,423,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cullen Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC now owns 956 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 12,751 shares during the last quarter. Korea Investment CORP boosted its stake in Ecolab by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 186,372 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $48,926,000 after acquiring an additional 2,584 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its stake in Ecolab by 215.1% in the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 25,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,691,000 after acquiring an additional 17,398 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $299,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Ecolab

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?

Ecolab Stock Up 0.7%

ECL opened at $265.53 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $260.97 and a 200 day moving average of $271.27. The company has a market cap of $74.73 billion, a PE ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on ECL. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $312.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.41.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 9,550 shares of company stock worth $2,455,678. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.