Key Points
- Director David Maclennan bought 750 shares on December 8 at $257.60 each (~$193,200), increasing his stake to 23,035 shares (a 3.37% ownership rise); the trade was disclosed on an SEC Form 4.
- Ecolab raised its quarterly dividend to $0.73 (from $0.65), annualized $2.92 with a ~1.1% yield, ex-dividend date December 16 and payable January 15.
- The company reported Q3 EPS of $2.07 (in line) and revenue of $4.17B (above estimates), and set Q4 2025 guidance of $2.020–2.120 and FY2025 guidance of $7.480–7.580 (consensus FY EPS ~7.54).
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Ecolab Stock Down 1.0%
Ecolab stock opened at $256.99 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $267.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $269.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market cap of $72.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.98. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $286.04.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The basic materials company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.07. The business had revenue of $4.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 12.49%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 EPS. Ecolab has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance at 7.480-7.580 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This is a boost from Ecolab's previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.36%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Ecolab from $299.00 to $291.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $323.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $295.14.
Read Our Latest Analysis on ECL
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About Ecolab
(
Get Free Report)
Ecolab Inc provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Global Industrial; Global Institutional & Specialty; and Global Healthcare & Life Sciences. The Global Industrial segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, metals and mining, power generation, pulp and paper, commercial laundry, petroleum, refining, and petrochemical industries.
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