Comerica Bank Trims Stock Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Comerica Bank reduced its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 63,721 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,440 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $16,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ecolab beat Q1 revenue estimates with reported sales of $4.07B (+10% y/y) and accelerated organic growth in Life Sciences, Global High‑Tech, Institutional and Specialty—driving continued double‑digit EPS growth. Ecolab Delivers Accelerated Sales Growth and Double-Digit EPS Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Digital sales and strong demand in life sciences/tech were highlighted as growth drivers, supporting near-term revenue momentum. ECL Stock Up in Pre-Market Post In-Line Q1 Earnings, Gross Margin Down
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported adjusted EPS of $1.70 matched consensus; revenue beat but gross margin tightened versus prior year—mixed signal for profitability trends. Ecolab (ECL) Q1 Earnings Match Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The company maintained FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $8.43–$8.63, essentially in line with consensus—providing some reassurance about full‑year targets despite near‑term uncertainty. MarketBeat Ecolab Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Ecolab set Q2 EPS guidance of $2.02–$2.12, which sits slightly below consensus and prompted investor caution; management flagged higher costs tied to the Iran war as a driver of elevated near‑term expense. Ecolab forecasts second-quarter profit below estimates as Iran war pushes up costs
• Negative Sentiment: Reaction: shares slipped as investors focused on the mixed guidance and margin pressure despite the revenue beat—creating short‑term downside even with constructive demand trends. Ecolab slips after in-line Q1; Q2 earnings guidance mostly below consensus

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.82.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:ECL opened at $266.88 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $277.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.46. The company has a market capitalization of $75.37 billion, a PE ratio of 36.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $240.92 and a 1-year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 40.11%.

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.