Benjamin Clark Acquires 1,000 Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) EVP Benjamin Clark acquired 1,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $263.83 per share, with a total value of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This trade represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ECL opened at $274.15 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $261.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $271.25. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $77.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.90.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Ecolab

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $295.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Berenberg Bank upgraded Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Citigroup cut their target price on Ecolab from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $312.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Ecolab from $337.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $323.41.

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.