Czech National Bank Boosts Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Czech National Bank lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,217 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,386 shares during the quarter. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $17,646,000 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. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 164.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Ecolab by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in Ecolab by 22.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 5.4% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 20,690 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,575,000 after acquiring an additional 1,056 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its position in Ecolab by 0.6% in the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 14,625 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,940,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $264.14 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $74.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.28, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $285.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $273.78. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 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 firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ECL shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $310.00 to $285.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $323.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This trade represents a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, 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. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.