LS Investment Advisors LLC Cuts Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

LS Investment Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 64,667 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,201 shares during the period. Ecolab makes up about 2.5% of LS Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest position. LS Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $17,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sarasin & Partners LLP lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 9.2% during the third quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 62,911 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $17,169,000 after acquiring an additional 5,323 shares in the last quarter. Tealwood Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,104,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth about $284,000. Robbins Farley lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 4,735.4% during the 3rd quarter. Robbins Farley now owns 7,785 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,132,000 after purchasing an additional 7,624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 5.7% in the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 87,652 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $24,004,000 after purchasing an additional 4,728 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $262.67 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $263.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $268.78. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $286.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $74.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.07. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.57 EPS. The company’s revenue 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The firm 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 represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 41.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares in the company, valued at $18,989,868.04. This trade represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. Citigroup decreased their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Mizuho set a $315.00 target price on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.57.

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.