Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. Buys Shares of 20,902 Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 20,902 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,824,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the third quarter worth $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab in the first quarter worth $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of ECL stock opened at $284.86 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a twelve month low of $243.15 and a twelve month high of $309.27. The stock has a market cap of $80.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $272.17 and a 200 day moving average of $273.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.72% and a net margin of 12.57%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 39.19%.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $250.65 per share, with a total value of $250,650.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,323,899.50. This represents a 4.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $258.00 per share, with a total value of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired 9,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,513,980 in the last quarter. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on ECL shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

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.