Van ECK Associates Corp Has $19.62 Million Stock Holdings in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 154.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 70,411 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,713 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $19,617,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $395,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $201,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $192,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its holdings in Ecolab by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 486 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 23.7% during the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 209 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup raised their target price on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $327.56.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris acquired 7,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE ECL opened at $287.06 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $278.36 and its 200-day moving average is $273.69. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $80.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.53, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.88. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27.

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

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.

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.