Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Takes $8.13 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 29,170 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,127,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,422,340,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 10,622,035 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,788,497,000 after acquiring an additional 4,110,472 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at $880,506,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the second quarter valued at about $413,381,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value 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 approximately $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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $281.91 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $276.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.03 billion, a PE ratio of 37.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Zacks Research lowered Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

About Ecolab

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.