Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Receives $283.13 Average PT from Analysts

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $283.13.

A number of analysts have commented on ECL shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on Ecolab from $305.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Ecolab from $302.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Redburn Atlantic cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, March 24th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Ecolab from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, Director David Maclennan acquired 500 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $251.75 per share, for a total transaction of $125,875.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 19,465 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,900,313.75. This trade represents a 2.64% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC boosted its position in Ecolab by 15.6% during the 1st quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 5,576 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,414,000 after acquiring an additional 754 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 64.5% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,898 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $700,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 37,617 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,822,000 after buying an additional 5,189 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 24,739 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,713,000 after buying an additional 4,107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at about $80,564,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.1%

ECL stock opened at $266.59 on Thursday. Ecolab has a fifty-two week low of $220.96 and a fifty-two week high of $273.69. The business’s 50-day moving average is $256.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $250.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company has a market cap of $75.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.03.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The basic materials company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50. The company had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.71 billion. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.53% and a net margin of 13.41%. Ecolab’s revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Ecolab will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 17th will be issued a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 17th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Ecolab’s payout ratio is 35.33%.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Global Industrial; Global Institutional & Specialty; and Global Healthcare & Life Sciences. The Global Industrial segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, metals and mining, power generation, pulp and paper, commercial laundry, petroleum, refining, and petrochemical industries.