Mizuho Markets Cayman LP Acquires 10,800 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Mizuho Markets Cayman LP raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 216.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,798 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 10,800 shares during the period. Mizuho Markets Cayman LP’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $4,203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday. UBS Group raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup increased their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last quarter. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $267.23 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $265.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.15. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company has a market capitalization of $75.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. 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 expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

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.