Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) EVP Benjamin Clark Purchases 1,000 Shares

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) EVP Benjamin Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at $285,727.89. The trade was a 1,204.82% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock traded up $3.47 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $268.88. The stock had a trading volume of 2,046,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,508,771. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $243.15 and a 12 month high of $309.27. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $260.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $271.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.67 billion, a PE ratio of 36.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.50 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ECL. UBS Group raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Berenberg Bank raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.41.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECL. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.