Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 2,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $618,000.
Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Price Performance
ECL opened at $276.28 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $274.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $273.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.57. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The firm has a market cap of $77.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.09, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.88.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Michel D. Doukeris bought 7,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $258.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,999,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,326 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,148,108. This trade represents a 1,345.49% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Suzanne M. Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,651 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,281.98. This represents a 7.93% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $342.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Ecolab from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Citigroup increased their price objective on Ecolab from $325.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price objective on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.56.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Ecolab
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.
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