Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Takes Position in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI bought a new position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 10,306 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,871,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc bought a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter worth about $598,000. Cornerstone Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $16,698,000. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,061,000. Grandfield & Dodd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,007,000. Finally, B & T Capital Management DBA Alpha Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,390,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $275.87 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $275.00 and its 200 day moving average is $273.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.03, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.01. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business had revenue of $4.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Ecolab’s revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 39.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ECL has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America raised their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $327.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at $3,087,281.98. This trade represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.