Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Grows Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 8.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 262,636 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,225 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.09% of Ecolab worth $71,925,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 1.3% in the second quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 2,995 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $807,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.5% during the second quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 7,534 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,030,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Group Ltd now owns 853 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC now owns 916 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Level Four Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,246,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $273.01 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.23, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.99. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $266.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $269.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $286.04.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. Analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 41.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. The trade was a 23.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on ECL. Mizuho set a $315.00 target price on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $295.31.

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.