Syntax Research Inc. Takes Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Syntax Research Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 2,314 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $645,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ECL. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.4%

Ecolab stock opened at $278.83 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $278.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.13. 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 company has a market capitalization of $78.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.43, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.88.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 previous year, the firm earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given 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 presently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total transaction of $2,608,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ECL shares. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $327.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.56.

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.