Financial & Tax Architects LLC Sells 3,706 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Financial & Tax Architects LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 14.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,650 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,706 shares during the period. Financial & Tax Architects LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $5,759,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Union Savings Bank acquired a new position in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $278.50 on Wednesday. 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 $78.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.69, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $243.15 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $261.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $271.91.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 16th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.71.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This represents a 23.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 in the last ninety days. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.