Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Sells 601,228 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 15.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,259,055 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 601,228 shares during the period. Ecolab accounts for 0.9% of Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $866,818,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup increased their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.71.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $283.71 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $79.85 billion, a PE ratio of 38.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $261.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.49. 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 announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.50 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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 predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 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.