Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Sets New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $288.09 and last traded at $287.29, with a volume of 274018 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $282.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Mizuho set a $315.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ecolab presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $297.33.

Ecolab Stock Up 2.0%

The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $270.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $270.18. The company has a market cap of $81.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is presently 41.95%.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total transaction of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. This trade represents a 23.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Meridian Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,133 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $823,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC increased its position in Ecolab by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 4,883 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,282,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. KLCM Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $207,000. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs raised its stake in Ecolab by 23.3% in the fourth quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs now owns 12,531 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,290,000 after buying an additional 2,369 shares during the period. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,154 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.