Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Acquired by Concentric Capital Strategies LP

Concentric Capital Strategies LP raised its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 34.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 61,461 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 15,659 shares during the period. Ecolab makes up 0.8% of Concentric Capital Strategies LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Concentric Capital Strategies LP’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $16,832,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective 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. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One 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, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.6%

ECL opened at $274.12 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.08. The company has a market capitalization of $77.29 billion, a PE ratio of 37.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $287.11 and its 200-day moving average is $274.53. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $221.62 and a one year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.81 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

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.