Cerity Partners LLC Has $68.87 Million Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 251,461 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,235 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Ecolab worth $68,865,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter worth $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its position in Ecolab by 202.6% during the 2nd quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 81.5% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.0%

ECL opened at $268.85 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $76.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.99. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average price is $263.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $268.88. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $286.04.

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

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.95%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ecolab from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI raised shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $265.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Mizuho set a $315.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $294.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares in the company, valued at $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value 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 trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

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.