Rathbones Group PLC Purchases 4,138 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 309,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,138 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $82,227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 63.1% in 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 purchasing an additional 4,110,472 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $1,022,334,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $880,506,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 26,152.0% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 945,072 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $24,810,000 after buying an additional 941,472 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Ecolab by 58.8% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,243,825 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $596,902,000 after buying an additional 830,726 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

ECL opened at $277.83 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $269.59 and its 200 day moving average is $273.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $78.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.29, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.89. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month 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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought 9,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,513,980 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on ECL. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective 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. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.56.

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.