Wealthfront Advisers LLC Boosts Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 25.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,935 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,017 shares during the quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $10,624,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $272.91 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $243.15 and a fifty-two week high of $309.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $264.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.03. The company has a market cap of $76.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.93, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.89.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly 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. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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 8.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ecolab news, Director Michel D. Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,323,899.50. This trade represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on ECL shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $324.06.

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.