Ecolab Inc. $ECL Stock Sold by Motley Fool Asset Management LLC

Motley Fool Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 9.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,818 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,152 shares during the period. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $5,442,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Wellington Altus USA Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.2% during the second quarter. Wellington Altus USA Inc. now owns 110 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Polaris Financial Partners bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $292.33 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $81.95 billion, a PE ratio of 39.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a 50 day moving average of $281.26 and a 200 day moving average of $275.83. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18. The company had revenue of $4.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.07 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 17,862 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.14, for a total transaction of $5,003,860.68. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 72,932 shares in the company, valued at $20,431,170.48. The trade was a 19.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see further upside. JPMorgan raised its price target from $305 to $310 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, implying additional upside. Bank of America also said Ecolab may be laying the groundwork for a stronger growth story. JPMorgan analyst rating Bank of America growth outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Data-center and high-tech demand is accelerating. Ecolab reported 7% organic sales growth in the third quarter, including 63% growth in Global High-Tech sales. AI-driven data-center construction and demand for water-management services are becoming important growth drivers. Ecolab third-quarter growth takeaways
• Positive Sentiment: Margins and revenue growth remained healthy. Third-quarter revenue increased 12.7% year over year to $4.69 billion, while management highlighted margin gains and strength in Water and Life Sciences. Adjusted earnings of $2.18 per share increased from $2.07 a year earlier and met consensus estimates. Ecolab third-quarter margin strength
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings report was mixed. Although EPS met or slightly beat some estimates, revenue was just below consensus, and Ecolab narrowed its 2026 outlook. Fourth-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $2.13 to $2.23 suggests continued earnings growth but leaves limited room for disappointment. Ecolab earnings and outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk. With Ecolab trading at roughly 39 times earnings, some investors question whether AI-related growth alone can justify the stock’s premium valuation, particularly if broader organic growth or guidance moderates. Ecolab valuation analysis

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $299.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Ecolab from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.53.

Ecolab Company Profile

Ecolab Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene, infection prevention and cleaning solutions for businesses and institutions. The company helps customers manage water and energy use, maintain sanitary operations, protect food supplies and comply with health and safety standards.

Ecolab serves customers across industries including food and beverage processing, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, institutional facilities and energy. Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, water-treatment and process-management systems, pest-control services, kitchen and housekeeping products, infection-prevention programs, and related equipment, training and consulting services.

Founded in 1923 as Economics Laboratory, the company has expanded from its original focus on cleaning products into a broad range of technology-enabled services and solutions.