Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Director Sells $390,454.90 in Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Director Tracy Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total value of $390,454.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This represents a 10.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE ECL traded down $0.10 on Thursday, reaching $306.42. The company had a trading volume of 1,187,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,261,190. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company’s fifty day moving average is $281.08 and its 200 day moving average is $273.75. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.81 EPS. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.11%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. BDFS Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $518,000. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at about $431,000. Ketron Financial bought a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth about $307,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Ecolab by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 24,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,401,000 after purchasing an additional 4,015 shares during the period. Finally, Phillip James Consulting Co. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the fourth quarter worth about $60,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ECL. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.56.

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.