Ecolab Inc. $ECL Holdings Decreased by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lessened its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 20.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,970 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,152 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $3,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,422,340,000. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $244,381,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at about $578,923,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at about $495,109,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the second quarter worth approximately $413,381,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 1.5%

Ecolab stock traded up $4.60 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $309.01. The stock had a trading volume of 1,208,454 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,711,678. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $318.93. The company has a market capitalization of $86.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.04, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $286.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $277.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.57% and a net margin of 11.99%. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.07 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here’s some of the latest news about ECL:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo upgraded Ecolab from Equal Weight to Overweight and raised its price target to $380 from $315—about 23% above the cited share price. The firm highlighted the CoolIT and Ovivo acquisitions and potential to benefit from AI data-center cooling needs. This water technology stock is set to get a big boost from AI, says Wells Fargo Ecolab upgraded at Wells Fargo, touting CoolIT and Ovivo acquisitions
• Positive Sentiment: Director David Maclennan bought 600 shares for roughly $184,900 at an average price of $308.12, increasing his holdings by 2.34%. Insider buying can signal confidence in the company’s prospects. Ecolab Director David Maclennan Acquires 600 Shares

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Ecolab from $287.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Berenberg Bank increased their price target on Ecolab from $299.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $332.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $308.12 per share, for a total transaction of $184,872.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 26,225 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,080,447. The trade was a 2.34% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, cleaning and infection-prevention products and services to businesses and institutions. Its solutions help customers manage water use, maintain sanitary environments and support operational efficiency. The company serves a range of industries, including food and beverage, foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences and manufacturing. Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment programs, pest-elimination services, and related monitoring and consulting support.