State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Purchases 2,306 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 2.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 87,884 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,306 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $24,068,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 81.5% during 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 buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter worth about $41,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.6%

ECL stock opened at $298.90 on Monday. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $221.62 and a 12 month high of $306.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $274.00 and its 200 day moving average is $271.69. The company has a market capitalization of $84.66 billion, a PE ratio of 41.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This is a boost from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $325.00 price objective on Ecolab and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Evercore upgraded shares of Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $322.06.

More Ecolab News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Ecolab posted a slight EPS beat and provided FY‑2026 guidance (8.43–8.63 EPS), which supports forward earnings visibility. Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: BNP Paribas Exane moved ECL to a “strong‑buy” (and earlier reaffirmed an outperform with a higher price target), adding buy‑side momentum around the name. Zacks – BNP Paribas upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Additional broker support: Evercore ISI issued a buy rating, and other analysts have raised targets (analyst commentary suggests fair values in the low‑to‑mid $300s), reinforcing upside narratives. Evercore ISI buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst fair‑value discussion: Coverage noted an average analyst view around US$317 post‑results, which frames where market participants expect ECL to trade over the medium term. Yahoo Finance – $317 analyst view
• Neutral Sentiment: Style/quant coverage: Zacks highlighted Ecolab as a top‑ranked growth/style pick, which may attract style‑focused funds but has limited immediate price impact. Zacks – Top‑ranked growth stock
• Negative Sentiment: Concerns on organic growth: Some analysts/commentary argue Ecolab’s organic growth wasn’t strong enough to fully justify upgrades, raising questions about the sustainability of the recent run. Seeking Alpha – organic growth critique

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.