Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 9,697 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 82,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 9,697 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $22,572,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $202,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 112,706 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,866,000 after purchasing an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,092 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,121,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Community Financial Services Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.9% during the third quarter. Community Financial Services Group LLC now owns 16,521 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,524,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in Ecolab by 2.6% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 9,503 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,602,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE:ECL opened at $271.83 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $263.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $268.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $286.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.06, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.07. The company had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.Ecolab’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $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. As a group, equities research 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 41.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group increased their target price on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Ecolab from $323.00 to $315.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $294.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following 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 acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total transaction of $5,676,256.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Company 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.