Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Towne Trust Company N.A

Towne Trust Company N.A decreased its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 13.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,605 shares during the quarter. Ecolab makes up 1.4% of Towne Trust Company N.A’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Towne Trust Company N.A’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $4,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cambient Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 8.8% during the first quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC now owns 1,220 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $325,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Northeast Investment Management lifted its stake in Ecolab by 2.4% in the first quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 5,889 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,458,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,195 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 7,474 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,988,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $283.71 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $261.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $271.49.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting 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 quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ECL shares. UBS Group raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup raised their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.71.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have acquired a total of 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 over the last 90 days. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.