Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Park National Corp OH

Park National Corp OH cut its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 37.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,457 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 5,693 shares during the period. Park National Corp OH’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,483,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Ecolab by 88.7% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In related news, 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 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. This trade represents a 10.02% 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, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $256.55 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $72.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.24, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $286.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $274.04. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.Ecolab’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 EPS. 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.24.

Key Stories Impacting Ecolab

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth play into AI infrastructure — the acquisition gives Ecolab immediate exposure to liquid cooling for high-density AI data centers, a fast-growing market that could materially diversify and accelerate Ecolab’s long-term growth profile. Ecolab Buys a Liquid Cooling Company for $4.75 Billion. It’s All About AI.
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal confirmation and terms — multiple outlets report the finalized $4.75B all-cash purchase from KKR and the company’s intent to scale CoolIT’s tech globally; this confirms prior reports that Ecolab was pursuing a large data-center cooling acquisition. Ecolab to acquire CoolIT Systems for $4.75 billion
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and near-term pressure — shares slipped after the announcement as investors appeared concerned about the sizable cash payment, potential strain on capital allocation and integration execution risk. Ecolab Unleashes $4.75 Billion CoolIT Buy For AI Cooling
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst / forecasting headwinds — at least one firm has issued a cautious outlook on Ecolab following the deal, citing valuation and earnings-per-share risk from the transaction and execution uncertainty. Wells Fargo & Company Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock Price

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.