Bath Savings Trust Co Acquires 2,294 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Bath Savings Trust Co raised its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 77,462 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 2,294 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for 2.0% of Bath Savings Trust Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Bath Savings Trust Co’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $20,335,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings 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 valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 88.7% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $264.46 on Wednesday. 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 business has a 50-day simple moving average of $286.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.88. The company has a market capitalization of $74.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.97. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded Ecolab from Neutral to Overweight, citing stronger pricing power and a shift toward higher‑growth businesses; they set a $295 price target. J.P. Morgan Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reiterated its Buy rating on Ecolab, reinforcing analyst support after the company’s strategic moves. BMO Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America kept a Buy and a bullish $337 target, highlighting that the CoolIT acquisition expands Ecolab’s high‑tech growth platform and recurring‑revenue potential. BofA on CoolIT
• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab announced the ~$4.75B CoolIT Systems acquisition to beef up liquid cooling for data centers/AI — viewed as strategic entry into a high‑growth, recurring‑revenue market. Analysts say this supports medium‑term growth and margin upside. CoolIT Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab management told investors that data‑center cooling demand should outlast the AI “hype” cycle, supporting durable end‑market demand for CoolIT products. Data‑Center Demand Comment
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird lowered its price target from $320 to $296 but kept an Outperform rating — still above the current share price, so it’s a mixed signal (lowered upside but maintained conviction). Baird PT Change
• Neutral Sentiment: M&A call materials and transcripts (slides and transcript) were posted, providing execution details on CoolIT integration and financial assumptions — useful for investors digging into deal economics. M&A Call Transcript M&A Slideshow

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by 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.