Triasima Portfolio Management inc. Increases Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Triasima Portfolio Management inc. boosted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 91.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,687 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 4,619 shares during the quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,653,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 202.6% during the second quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE:ECL opened at $273.23 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.18, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.33. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $221.62 and a one year high of $286.04. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $265.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $269.19.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.07. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.57 earnings per share. The business’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. As a group, analysts forecast 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 was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of Ecolab 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 acquisition, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on ECL. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $315.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three equities research 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $295.31.

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.