AIA Group Ltd Buys 5,719 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

AIA Group Ltd boosted its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 23.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,237 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,719 shares during the period. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $8,044,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $272.91 on Monday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $264.97 and a 200 day moving average of $273.08. The stock has a market cap of $76.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.89.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ECL. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $324.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In related news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have bought 10,550 shares of company stock valued at $2,719,508 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.50% 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.