SEB Asset Management AB Acquires New Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

SEB Asset Management AB bought a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 60,715 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,151,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Swiss National Bank grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 6.9% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 748,094 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $199,008,000 after purchasing an additional 48,600 shares in the last quarter. World Equity Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 9.6% during the 1st quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 1,339 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $356,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. AIA Group Ltd boosted its stake in Ecolab by 23.3% in the 1st quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 30,237 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,044,000 after purchasing an additional 5,719 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 24.8% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $496,000 after buying an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 10.2% during the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 498 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $127,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $268.02 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.11. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $75.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.27, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. 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. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.13 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ECL shares. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $324.06.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab 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.