Night Squared LP Sells 10,053 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Night Squared LP cut its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 28.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,520 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 10,053 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises approximately 2.5% of Night Squared LP’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Night Squared LP’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,989,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 81.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $47,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $274.12 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $221.62 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $287.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $274.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.97.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The firm had revenue of $4.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on ECL shares. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.