Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab Buys Shares of 48,419 Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 48,419 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,260,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 88.7% in the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL opened at $272.57 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $287.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $274.38. The firm has a market cap of $76.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.44, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.97. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $221.62 and a 1 year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. 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, analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued 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 is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.11%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 price objective (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.71.

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.