State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Reduces Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL
by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat GemState of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D trimmed its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 85,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,964 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $22,556,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Ecolab by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,061,489 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $278,663,000 after acquiring an additional 43,745 shares during the last quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,212 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $318,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management boosted its stake in Ecolab by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 42,993 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $11,318,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $86,000. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab in the fourth quarter valued at about $322,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Ecolab news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total value of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Stock Performance
Shares of ECL stock opened at $260.75 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.28, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $275.74 and its 200 day moving average is $273.25. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $248.58 and a 12 month high of $309.27.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. Ecolab’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.51%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $312.00 to $293.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Berenberg Bank upgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.53.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on ECL
Ecolab News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:
- Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reaffirmed its Buy rating on Ecolab, signaling continued analyst confidence that supports demand for the stock. BMO Reaffirms Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Mizuho issued a Buy on Ecolab, another fresh vote of confidence from the sell‑side that can support buying interest. Mizuho Buy
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 highlights: Ecolab reported EPS roughly in line with expectations and revenue that beat estimates, and it provided FY2026 guidance — results and guidance together support the stock’s upward move. Q1 Earnings Highlights
- Positive Sentiment: Business expansion: Ecolab Life Sciences opened a new bioprocessing applications center in Korea, strengthening its Asian footprint in a higher‑margin, fast‑growing end market. This is a strategic revenue‑growth catalyst. Life Sciences Korea Center
- Positive Sentiment: Third‑party coverage and thematic lists (Zacks, InsiderMonkey) are flagging Ecolab for positive earnings momentum and dividend growth appeal, which can attract income and momentum investors. Zacks Coverage InsiderMonkey List
- Neutral Sentiment: Ecolab will webcast its virtual annual meeting on May 7 — routine corporate governance news with limited direct price impact but worth noting for shareholders. Annual Meeting Webcast
- Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target slightly (from $330 to $325) but retained a Buy rating — a modest signal that expectations remain favorable though near‑term upside math was nudged lower. Benzinga: Citi PT Change
- Negative Sentiment: Erste Group nudged down its FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts and keeps a Hold rating — small downward estimate revisions add modest pressure to sentiment and underscore some near‑term analyst caution. MarketBeat: Erste Estimates
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.