Mirova US LLC Has $499.76 Million Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Mirova US LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 11.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,824,872 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 227,931 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises about 5.0% of Mirova US LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest position. Mirova US LLC owned 0.64% of Ecolab worth $499,759,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 164.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 15.9% during the 1st quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,846 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $469,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new position in Ecolab in the first quarter worth $25,000. Graham Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the first quarter worth $3,890,000. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 124.4% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 7,682 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,947,000 after acquiring an additional 4,258 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total transaction of $5,676,256.74. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,989,868.04. This trade represents a 23.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $265.23 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.70. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $264.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $268.77. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $286.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.11, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.98.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The company had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Erste Group Bank started coverage on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $294.57.

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.