BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. Purchases 2,963 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 120,787 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,963 shares during the quarter. Ecolab accounts for approximately 0.7% of BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $31,709,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd 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. Finally, Pekao Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average price 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 in the company, valued at $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $250.69 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $261.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.42. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $70.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Ecolab Company 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.