Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Acquired by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 29.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,345 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,342 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,752,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $269.95 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.98 billion, a PE ratio of 36.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.89. 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 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $264.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $272.93.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have acquired 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.