Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd Has $19.40 Million Stock Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd trimmed its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 28.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 72,943 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 29,150 shares during the quarter. Ecolab comprises approximately 0.1% of Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Lombard Odier Asset Management Europe Ltd’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $19,404,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rathbones Group PLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 1.4% in the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 309,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $82,227,000 after acquiring an additional 4,138 shares in the last quarter. Farmers National Bank increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 2.8% during the first quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 9,966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,651,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. DV Trading LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $245,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,676,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 1st quarter worth $290,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research cut shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insider Activity

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 9,750 shares of company stock worth $2,513,980. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL opened at $277.83 on Monday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $78.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $269.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.48.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

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.