Key Points
- Ecolab COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares on June 9 for about $2.61 million, reducing his direct holdings by 23.4% to 32,733 shares.
- The company recently reported Q1 earnings of $1.70 per share, matching analyst expectations, while revenue of $4.07 billion topped estimates and rose 10% year over year.
- Ecolab also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, with a 1.1% yield, and analysts currently maintain a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $323.41.
Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) COO Darrell Brown sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,539,712.37. The trade was a 23.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Ecolab Price Performance
ECL opened at $256.72 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $261.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $271.33. Ecolab Inc. has a 12-month low of $243.15 and a 12-month high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $72.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.74, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.90.
Ecolab (NYSE:ECL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. Ecolab's revenue 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. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.48 earnings per share for the current year.
Ecolab Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Ecolab's dividend payout ratio is 39.51%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Ecolab from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ecolab from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $325.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $260.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $323.41.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ecolab
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 164.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $867,000 after buying an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in Ecolab by 22.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $314,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Ecolab by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,096 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $5,684,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in Ecolab by 49.4% during the 2nd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 58,421 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $15,741,000 after buying an additional 19,324 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company's stock.
Ecolab Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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