Korea Investment CORP Invests $42.49 Million in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Korea Investment CORP bought a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 152,509 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,491,000. Korea Investment CORP owned about 0.05% of Ecolab as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,870,000 after acquiring an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its stake in Ecolab by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,464,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Cornerstone Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,698,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 29.4% in the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 21,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,641,000 after purchasing an additional 4,886 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S grew its stake in shares of Ecolab by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 251,977 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $66,149,000 after buying an additional 20,247 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:ECL opened at $281.91 on Friday. 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 $79.03 billion, a PE ratio of 37.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $276.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.09 earnings per share (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 analysts’ expectations of $4.38 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 22.72%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. Ecolab has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.130-2.230 EPS. Analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on ECL. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 target price on Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One research 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $327.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 28,866 shares of company stock worth $7,878,801 over the last three months. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.