Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 37.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,074,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 644,166 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $282,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 1,375.0% in the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 88.7% in the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on ECL shares. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. One equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.41.

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Michel Doukeris made a sizable purchase of 7,750 Ecolab shares at $258 each, a multi-million-dollar bet that can signal confidence in the company’s outlook. Michel Doukeris Acquires 7,750 Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: The company continues to show solid operating fundamentals, with its last quarterly earnings meeting EPS expectations and revenue coming in above estimates, while full-year guidance remains intact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab also confirmed a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, reinforcing its appeal as a steady income name rather than a pure growth story.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain mixed but generally favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a price target above current trading levels, though Erste Group recently trimmed its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts slightly.
• Negative Sentiment: COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares, which can weigh on sentiment even though the sale appears to be relatively modest compared with his remaining stake. Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) COO Sells $2,608,900.00 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analyst commentary has focused on valuation concerns, suggesting Ecolab’s premium multiple could limit upside if growth expectations cool. Is S&P 500 Valuation Scrutiny Weighing on Ecolab’s Premium?

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly 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 SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders purchased 9,550 shares of company stock worth $2,455,678. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $265.53 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $74.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $260.97 and a 200-day moving average of $271.27.

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

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.51%.

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.