Gotham Asset Management LLC Has $32.35 Million Stock Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 24.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 118,136 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 23,235 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $32,353,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 1,177.8% in 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. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 81.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $47,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $273.29 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $287.31 and its 200-day moving average is $274.41. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year 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. The stock has a market cap of $77.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.97.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.81 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. BNP Paribas Exane reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price target on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,505,760.28. The trade was a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. The trade was a 18.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.