Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc cut its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 5.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 620,340 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 32,834 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 0.22% of Ecolab worth $169,886,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter valued at $28,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in Ecolab by 202.6% in the 2nd quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 81.5% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Up 4.1%

Ecolab stock opened at $299.97 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $84.96 billion, a PE ratio of 43.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $271.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $270.92. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $221.62 and a 1-year high of $303.01.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.49% and a return on equity of 22.55%. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. The company’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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a $0.73 dividend. This is a boost from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 41.95%.

Ecolab News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat and margins expanded — Ecolab reported $2.08 adjusted EPS (vs. ~ $2.07 consensus) with margin improvement and 4.8% revenue growth year-over-year, which underpins the stronger profit outlook. Ecolab Shares Rise As Q4 Earnings, Revenue Edge Past Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance nudges above consensus — management set FY26 EPS at $8.43–$8.63 (consensus ~ $8.46) and Q1 EPS at $1.67–$1.73 (roughly in line), signaling confidence in sustained demand for its cleaning, sanitization and water solutions. Reuters coverage highlights the guidance-driven upside. Ecolab forecasts 2026 profit above estimates on strong demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — William Blair updated/maintained a Buy rating citing sustained earnings outperformance and margin expansion alongside expectations for volume recovery, which can help sustain investor demand. Ecolab: Sustained Earnings Outperformance and Margin Expansion Underpin Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance is broadly in line with expectations — while EPS guidance slightly exceeds consensus at the midpoint, revenue guidance sits close to Street views, making the raise modest rather than transformative. Ecolab Q4 Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue narrowly missed estimates and some caution remains — Q4 revenue was $4.19B vs. ~$4.20B expected, and several reports note cautious sentiment around near‑term volume trends in parts of the business, which contributed to mixed initial market reactions. ECL Stock Falls in Pre-Market Despite Q4 Earnings Beat, Margins Expand
• Negative Sentiment: High valuation raises execution risk — ECL trades at a rich multiple (PE ~43), so upside depends on continued margin expansion and volume recovery; any slowdown would likely pressure the stock.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased 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 approximately $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This trade represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ECL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Mizuho set a $315.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.33.

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.