National Pension Service Buys 5,829 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

National Pension Service grew its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 768,265 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,829 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $214,046,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 164.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after acquiring an additional 2,302 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 39.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in Ecolab by 22.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $314,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 0.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,684,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 49.4% in the second quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $15,741,000 after buying an additional 19,324 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. This trade represents a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ECL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Oppenheimer upgraded Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Ecolab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying suggests increased bullish interest. Traders purchased 2,926 call options, approximately 241% above the average volume of 858 contracts, although options activity does not guarantee a sustained stock move.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Ecolab from “strong sell” to “hold,” reducing a significant source of negative analyst sentiment. Ecolab upgraded by Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab’s growth profile continues to benefit from high-tech customers, digital expansion and innovation. The company also delivered solid second-quarter results, with revenue growth and earnings slightly exceeding consensus estimates. Here’s Why You Should Retain Ecolab Stock in Your Portfolio Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s third-quarter earnings guidance of $2.13 to $2.23 per share provides a framework for continued profit growth, while analysts project full-year earnings of $8.17 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Cost fluctuations remain a key risk because they could pressure margins and offset benefits from digital initiatives, innovation and revenue growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Ecolab underperformed its competitors during the latest session, and the stock recently experienced additional selling pressure. The relative weakness suggests investors remain cautious despite the company’s fundamentally solid results. Ecolab Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

Ecolab Stock Down 0.2%

ECL opened at $271.72 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company’s 50-day moving average is $278.51 and its 200 day moving average is $272.23. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.47, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Ecolab Profile

Ecolab Inc (NYSE:ECL) provides water, hygiene, infection prevention and technology solutions to businesses and institutions worldwide. Its customers include restaurants, hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, food and beverage companies, retailers and other organizations that rely on safe, efficient and sustainable operating environments.

The company’s offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment and process-management systems, food-safety programs, infection-prevention solutions and pest-elimination services.