Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations

Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations lessened its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 21.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,433 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,619 shares during the period. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations’ holdings in Ecolab were worth $3,679,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ECL. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 878,829 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $240,676,000 after purchasing an additional 344,541 shares in the last quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 25.8% during the third quarter. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. now owns 72,200 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $19,773,000 after buying an additional 14,800 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. grew its position in Ecolab by 162.4% in the third quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 5,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,469,000 after buying an additional 3,320 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 20.5% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 66,656 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $18,254,000 after buying an additional 11,322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 597,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $163,744,000 after acquiring an additional 9,837 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $303.18 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $272.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $304.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.81 earnings per share. Ecolab’s quarterly revenue 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. On average, equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a $0.73 dividend. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $327.00 target price on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Ecolab from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted 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. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $317.80.

Key Stories Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: adjusted EPS $2.08 beat consensus and management reported margin expansion and accelerating demand; FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.43–$8.63 reinforces a stronger profit outlook. Ecolab forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management tone: the earnings call was described as upbeat, with the company outlining initiatives and acquisitions (including Ovivo) that support 12%–15% EPS growth targets for 2026. Ecolab outlines 12%–15% EPS growth for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Jefferies raised its price target to $352 and kept a Buy rating — a large upward revision that supports upside thesis and likely contributed to buying interest. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Additional buy-side support: RBC boosted its target to $337 (Outperform) and other firms (e.g., Wells Fargo) raised targets — these actions reinforce investor confidence in recovery and margin gains. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views: JPMorgan raised its target to $295 but kept a Neutral rating, signaling some caution remains despite higher targets. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Market nuance: some pre‑market weakness was noted despite the beat — revenue came in essentially flat vs. estimates ($4.19B vs. $4.20B) and a few analysts flagged mixed segment momentum, which could cap near‑term upside. ECL Stock Falls in Pre-Market Despite Q4 Earnings Beat

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 price of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.