2,925 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Acquired by Next Capital Management LLC

Next Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 2,925 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $815,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $276.28 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $274.64 and its 200-day moving average is $273.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.45 billion, a PE ratio of 37.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at 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. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is 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.