Cibc World Market Inc. Has $3.19 Million Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 20.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,629 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,999 shares during the quarter. Cibc World Market Inc.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $3,185,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,428,000. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in Ecolab by 0.3% during the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 469,236 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $128,505,000 after buying an additional 1,553 shares in the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $861,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Ecolab by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 12,144 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,326,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 30.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 8,252 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,913 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was acquired 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 directly 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 at the SEC website. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of ECL opened at $298.90 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.08. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $306.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.06, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $274.00 and a 200-day moving average of $271.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.81 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. 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 dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 40.11%.

Ecolab News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Ecolab posted a slight EPS beat and provided FY‑2026 guidance (8.43–8.63 EPS), which supports forward earnings visibility. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: BNP Paribas Exane moved ECL to a “strong‑buy” (and earlier reaffirmed an outperform with a higher price target), adding buy‑side momentum around the name. Zacks – BNP Paribas upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Additional broker support: Evercore ISI issued a buy rating, and other analysts have raised targets (analyst commentary suggests fair values in the low‑to‑mid $300s), reinforcing upside narratives. Evercore ISI buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst fair‑value discussion: Coverage noted an average analyst view around US$317 post‑results, which frames where market participants expect ECL to trade over the medium term. Yahoo Finance – $317 analyst view
• Neutral Sentiment: Style/quant coverage: Zacks highlighted Ecolab as a top‑ranked growth/style pick, which may attract style‑focused funds but has limited immediate price impact. Zacks – Top‑ranked growth stock
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns on organic growth: Some analysts/commentary argue Ecolab’s organic growth wasn’t strong enough to fully justify upgrades, raising questions about the sustainability of the recent run. Seeking Alpha – organic growth critique

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Ecolab from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.06.

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.