Capital Advisors Inc. OK Buys 4,293 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Capital Advisors Inc. OK raised its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 163,023 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,293 shares during the quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK owned 0.06% of Ecolab worth $42,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas Exane restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.56.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $265.74 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $285.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $273.59. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.81 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.11%.

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.