Plato Investment Management Ltd Invests $6.19 Million in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 22,363 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,194,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $276.28 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.45 billion, a PE ratio of 37.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The firm had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.19%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Mizuho raised their price target on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.