Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Royal Bank of Canada

Royal Bank of Canada lessened its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,496,925 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 32,174 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $930,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 52.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,882 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,225,000 after purchasing an additional 5,474 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 30.3% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 360,273 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $95,840,000 after buying an additional 83,774 shares in the last quarter. Everest Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Everest Financial Group LLC now owns 8,683 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,310,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 20,676 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,500,000 after buying an additional 3,543 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Diest Capital LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 135.1% in the 1st quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC now owns 2,838 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $755,000 after acquiring an additional 1,631 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup boosted their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.06.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $283.49 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $267.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were 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 was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.09, ahead of the $2.08 consensus estimate and up 11% year over year. Revenue rose 10% to approximately $4.4 billion, exceeding expectations, while organic sales growth accelerated to 5%. Ecolab Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $8.05-$8.25, representing expected growth of 7% to 10%. Strong demand in high-tech and life sciences, along with better pricing and productivity, supported the improved outlook. Ecolab Raises 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Operating income increased 7%, and analysts responded favorably: William Blair reiterated a Buy rating, citing the earnings beat, higher guidance and accelerating margin recovery. Analyst Reiterates Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab detailed a strategic restructuring plan, which could improve efficiency over time but may involve execution risks or near-term costs. Ecolab Reports Q2 Earnings and Strategic Restructuring Plan
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $2.13-$2.23 was below the $2.27 analyst consensus, limiting the upside reaction and signaling that near-term earnings may be more moderate than expected.

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.