42,291 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Acquired by OP Asset Management Ltd

OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 42,291 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,250,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have acquired 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Bank of America raised their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.71.

Ecolab Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $275.97 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $261.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $271.25. The company has a market capitalization of $77.67 billion, a PE ratio of 37.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $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. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

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.