Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd Has $19.40 Million Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd cut its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 28.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 72,943 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 29,150 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for about 0.1% of Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $19,404,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rathbones Group PLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 309,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $82,227,000 after buying an additional 4,138 shares in the last quarter. Farmers National Bank increased its holdings in Ecolab by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 9,966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,651,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. DV Trading LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the first quarter valued at about $245,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,676,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter valued at about $290,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $277.83 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $269.59 and a 200-day moving average of $273.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $78.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ECL. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.56.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased 9,750 shares of company stock worth $2,513,980 over the last quarter. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.