Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Director Michel Doukeris Purchases 7,750 Shares of Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Director Michel Doukeris purchased 7,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,326 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,148,108. The trade was a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Ecolab Price Performance

ECL stock opened at $264.30 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $243.15 and a one year high of $309.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.38 billion, a PE ratio of 35.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.90. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $261.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $271.31.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.03 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 22.64%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. 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, analysts forecast that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Dividend Announcement

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ecolab

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rathbones Group PLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 309,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $82,227,000 after acquiring an additional 4,138 shares during the period. Farmers National Bank raised its position in Ecolab by 2.8% during the first quarter. Farmers National Bank now owns 9,966 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,651,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. DV Trading LLC acquired a new position in Ecolab during the first quarter worth about $245,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in Ecolab by 0.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,096 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,676,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 1st quarter valued at $290,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group raised shares of Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Ecolab from $323.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. BNP Paribas Exane reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $345.00 target price (up from $330.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.