iA Global Asset Management Inc. Takes $3.50 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

iA Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 13,171 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,504,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wendell David Associates Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 2.6% during the first quarter. Wendell David Associates Inc. now owns 72,244 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $19,218,000 after acquiring an additional 1,810 shares during the last quarter. MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth about $641,000. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 22.6% during the 1st quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,834 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares during the period. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,650 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Bigelow Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,971 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,322,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders bought 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE:ECL opened at $278.48 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company has a 50-day moving average of $261.98 and a 200 day moving average of $272.04. The firm has a market cap of $78.38 billion, a PE ratio of 37.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. 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 anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders 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 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on ECL shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings cut Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.71.

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.