Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 15.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,718,411 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 317,928 shares during the period. Ecolab comprises 1.4% of Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $470,604,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,662,213 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,644,987,000 after buying an additional 250,980 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,479,529 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,469,019,000 after purchasing an additional 22,986 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.0% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 3,805,952 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $964,885,000 after purchasing an additional 145,902 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Ecolab by 0.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,577,229 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $906,900,000 after purchasing an additional 27,619 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $847,544,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Raymond James Financial began coverage on Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, August 26th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $315.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $294.57.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total transaction of $5,676,256.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was 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 trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.0%

Ecolab stock opened at $264.68 on Wednesday. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $286.04. The stock has a market cap of $74.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.03, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.98. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $264.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $268.86. 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 (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.95%.

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.