75,337 Shares in Ecolab Inc. $ECL Acquired by Sone Capital Management LLC

Sone Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 75,337 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,990,000. Ecolab makes up about 1.6% of Sone Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $287.03 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $309.27. The company’s 50-day moving average is $276.92 and its 200 day moving average is $273.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $4.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on ECL shares. 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 report on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.56.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ecolab

In other news, EVP Benjamin M. Clark bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,326 shares in the company, 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 sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Company 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.