Savant Capital LLC Reduces Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Savant Capital LLC reduced its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 75.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,906 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 14,969 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $1,288,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 1,375.0% during the fourth quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the third quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pekao Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. purchased a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Price Performance

NYSE:ECL opened at $250.69 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $261.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $271.42. The stock has a market cap of $70.56 billion, a PE ratio of 33.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $243.15 and a 52 week high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.51%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan bought 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $250.65 per share, for a total transaction of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. The trade was a 4.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Ecolab from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Ecolab from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.53.

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.