Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 12.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,067,194 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 220,790 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. owned approximately 0.73% of Ecolab worth $542,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bridges Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,393 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $891,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,591 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $680,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. One Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. One Capital Management LLC now owns 1,271 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas grew its stake in Ecolab by 14.5% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas now owns 3,120 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $819,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. increased its holdings in Ecolab by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. now owns 120,787 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,709,000 after acquiring an additional 2,963 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE ECL opened at $254.60 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $71.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a fifty day moving average of $261.47 and a 200-day moving average of $271.32.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. The firm’s 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.

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.