Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Bought by Saranac Partners Ltd

Saranac Partners Ltd increased its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 20.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 24,744 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 4,125 shares during the period. Ecolab makes up about 2.5% of Saranac Partners Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Saranac Partners Ltd’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,327,693 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,649,026,000 after purchasing an additional 137,578 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its stake in Ecolab by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 3,860,283 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,013,557,000 after buying an additional 202,449 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.0% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,159,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $591,535,000 after acquiring an additional 63,629 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,718,633 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $453,857,000 after acquiring an additional 65,836 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,415,887 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $387,748,000 after acquiring an additional 11,661 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Ecolab Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $245.61 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $69.13 billion, a PE ratio of 33.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $265.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.61.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 price target (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $321.06.

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.