Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Nisa Investment Advisors LLC

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 75,968 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,004 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $20,854,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its position in Ecolab by 202.6% during the second quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Ecolab by 81.5% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $271.74 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $286.04. The business has a fifty day moving average of $263.62 and a 200-day moving average of $268.94. The stock has a market cap of $76.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share 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 given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.95%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ECL shares. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays boosted their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $294.92.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.04% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab 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.