Capital Group Investment Management PTE. LTD. Acquires New Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Capital Group Investment Management PTE. LTD. purchased a new position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 13,591 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,568,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the 4th quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Pekao Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $258.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $72.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.99, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.90. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $271.23. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its 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 business had revenue of $4.07 billion during 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company 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. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’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 transaction of $266,039.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on ECL. 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. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Robert W. Baird decreased 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 stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.53.

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.