Sustainable Growth Advisers LP Has $169.33 Million Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Sustainable Growth Advisers LP lowered its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 645,018 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 50,987 shares during the quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $169,330,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pekao Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 2.1%

ECL stock opened at $250.69 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.92, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $261.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $271.42. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup cut their price target on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.

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.