Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) CEO Christophe Beck Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Shares of ECL traded down $2.36 on Thursday, reaching $304.16. 72,888 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,230,119. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $281.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $273.75. The stock has a market cap of $85.76 billion, a PE ratio of 41.86, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $309.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The basic materials company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.01. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.73% and a net margin of 12.91%.The business had revenue of $4.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.81 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.670-1.730 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ECL. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Ecolab from $324.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $330.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane restated 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.56.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,028 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $270,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Ecolab by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 1,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 211 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 764 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 730 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

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.