Impax Asset Management Group plc Trims Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Impax Asset Management Group plc reduced its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 620,340 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 32,834 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $169,886,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at $847,544,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 115.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 727,370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $193,753,000 after buying an additional 389,981 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 64.5% in the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $240,676,000 after buying an additional 344,541 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 1.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,662,213 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,644,987,000 after acquiring an additional 250,980 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in Ecolab by 49.7% during the second quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 741,253 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $199,723,000 after acquiring an additional 246,237 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat and margins expanded — Ecolab reported $2.08 adjusted EPS (vs. ~ $2.07 consensus) with margin improvement and 4.8% revenue growth year-over-year, which underpins the stronger profit outlook. Ecolab Shares Rise As Q4 Earnings, Revenue Edge Past Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY?2026 guidance nudges above consensus — management set FY26 EPS at $8.43–$8.63 (consensus ~ $8.46) and Q1 EPS at $1.67–$1.73 (roughly in line), signaling confidence in sustained demand for its cleaning, sanitization and water solutions. Reuters coverage highlights the guidance-driven upside. Ecolab forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — William Blair updated/maintained a Buy rating citing sustained earnings outperformance and margin expansion alongside expectations for volume recovery, which can help sustain investor demand. Ecolab: Sustained Earnings Outperformance and Margin Expansion Underpin Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance is broadly in line with expectations — while EPS guidance slightly exceeds consensus at the midpoint, revenue guidance sits close to Street views, making the raise modest rather than transformative. Ecolab Q4 Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue narrowly missed estimates and some caution remains — Q4 revenue was $4.19B vs. ~$4.20B expected, and several reports note cautious sentiment around near?term volume trends in parts of the business, which contributed to mixed initial market reactions. ECL Stock Falls in Pre-Market Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Margins Expand
• Negative Sentiment: High valuation raises execution risk — ECL trades at a rich multiple (PE ~43), so upside depends on continued margin expansion and volume recovery; any slowdown would likely pressure the stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 4.1%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $299.97 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $84.96 billion, a PE ratio of 43.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $271.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $270.92. 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 Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $303.01.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. 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, equities research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a $0.73 dividend. This is a boost from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 41.95%.

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.