Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 2,610 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $727,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $290.01 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.30 billion, a PE ratio of 38.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.84. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $277.24 and a 200 day moving average of $273.71.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total value of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.56.

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.