Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Raises Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 4.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 98,004 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 3,727 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $26,416,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL opened at $268.02 on Tuesday. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $75.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $265.31 and a 200-day moving average of $273.11.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released 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 last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a $0.73 dividend. 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 is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. UBS Group raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $324.06.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired 10,550 shares of company stock worth $2,719,508 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.