Yousif Capital Management LLC Sells 2,230 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Yousif Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 59,616 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,230 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $16,275,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,375.0% in the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $262.20 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.05 billion, a PE ratio of 36.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $283.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.56.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ECL. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Erste Group Bank cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group increased their target price on Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 target price on Ecolab and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.