GC Wealth Management RIA LLC Sells 3,500 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

GC Wealth Management RIA LLC lowered its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 50.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,373 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,500 shares during the quarter. GC Wealth Management RIA LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $885,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the 3rd 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, FSA Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE ECL opened at $260.75 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $73.64 billion, a PE ratio of 35.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $275.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.25. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $248.58 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. Ecolab’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reaffirmed its Buy rating on Ecolab, signaling continued analyst confidence that supports demand for the stock. BMO Reaffirms Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho issued a Buy on Ecolab, another fresh vote of confidence from the sell‑side that can support buying interest. Mizuho Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 highlights: Ecolab reported EPS roughly in line with expectations and revenue that beat estimates, and it provided FY2026 guidance — results and guidance together support the stock’s upward move. Q1 Earnings Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Business expansion: Ecolab Life Sciences opened a new bioprocessing applications center in Korea, strengthening its Asian footprint in a higher‑margin, fast‑growing end market. This is a strategic revenue‑growth catalyst. Life Sciences Korea Center
• Positive Sentiment: Third‑party coverage and thematic lists (Zacks, InsiderMonkey) are flagging Ecolab for positive earnings momentum and dividend growth appeal, which can attract income and momentum investors. Zacks Coverage InsiderMonkey List
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab will webcast its virtual annual meeting on May 7 — routine corporate governance news with limited direct price impact but worth noting for shareholders. Annual Meeting Webcast
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target slightly (from $330 to $325) but retained a Buy rating — a modest signal that expectations remain favorable though near‑term upside math was nudged lower. Benzinga: Citi PT Change
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group nudged down its FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts and keeps a Hold rating — small downward estimate revisions add modest pressure to sentiment and underscore some near‑term analyst caution. MarketBeat: Erste Estimates

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.