Bearing Point Capital LLC Acquires 3,569 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Bearing Point Capital LLC increased its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 11.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 33,985 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,569 shares during the period. Ecolab accounts for 1.4% of Bearing Point Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Bearing Point Capital LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $8,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 1,375.0% in the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.53.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of ECL opened at $256.28 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $72.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting 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 return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $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. On average, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend 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.