5 Stocks to Buy According to Ian Simm’s Impax Management

3. Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL)

Impax Management Stake Value: $708,604,000
Percentage of Impax Management’s 13F Portfolio: 2.91%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) provides products and services connected to water, hygiene, and energy. In October, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) agreed to purchase Purolite, a global provider of high-end ion exchange resins for solution separation and purification.

After Ecolab Inc.’s (NYSE:ECL) Q3 earnings beat, BMO Capital analyst John McNulty boosted his price target to $246 from $223 in October but kept a “Market Perform” rating on the stock. Ecolab Inc.’s (NYSE:ECL) third-quarter EPS was $1.38, beating consensus EPS of $0.08. The revenue was $3.32 billion, beating consensus estimates of $60 million.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust has the highest investment in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL), valued close to $910.924 million and accounting for 3.92% of its overall 13F portfolio, according to Insider Monkey. Impax Asset Management is the second most bullish fund manager, with a $708.60 million stake and 2.91% of its 13F portfolio invested in the company.