Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Director David Maclennan Acquires 600 Shares of Company Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Director David Maclennan acquired 600 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $308.12 per share, for a total transaction of $184,872.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 26,225 shares in the company, valued at $8,080,447. The trade was a 2.34% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Ecolab Price Performance

Shares of ECL stock opened at $304.55 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $285.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $277.42. The firm has a market cap of $85.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.44, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.85. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $243.15 and a 1-year high of $318.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The basic materials company reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18. Ecolab had a net margin of 11.99% and a return on equity of 22.57%. The business had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.07 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Findlay Park Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $115,674,000. Cornerstone Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth $16,698,000. Saudi Central Bank grew its stake in Ecolab by 89.1% during the 2nd quarter. Saudi Central Bank now owns 17,793 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,957,000 after buying an additional 8,384 shares during the last quarter. Nykredit A S bought a new position in Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth $31,932,000. Finally, Moore Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter worth $7,298,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Ecolab from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Ecolab from $305.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Oppenheimer upgraded Ecolab from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $320.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Ecolab from $295.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $328.58.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, cleaning and infection-prevention products and services to businesses and institutions. Its solutions help customers manage water use, maintain sanitary environments and support operational efficiency. The company serves a range of industries, including food and beverage, foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, life sciences and manufacturing. Its offerings include cleaning and sanitizing products, water-treatment programs, pest-elimination services, and related monitoring and consulting support.