Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Director David Maclennan Purchases 800 Shares

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Director David Maclennan bought 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $256.91 per share, with a total value of $205,528.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 24,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,224,929.30. This represents a 3.41% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $257.63 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $273.16. The stock has a market cap of $72.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.92. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $249.04 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. The business had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $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. Research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ecolab

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on ECL shares. Berenberg Bank raised shares of 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. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective 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. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 price objective (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. One investment 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 data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $322.53.

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.