Northcape Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,182,000.
Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its stake in shares of Ecolab by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 330,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $86,670,000 after buying an additional 68,062 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,870,000 after acquiring an additional 6,238 shares during the last quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH now owns 163,731 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $43,464,000 after acquiring an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ecolab in the second quarter worth about $16,698,000. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Ecolab by 29.4% during the 4th quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 21,488 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $5,641,000 after purchasing an additional 4,886 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.
Ecolab Price Performance
Shares of ECL opened at $285.28 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.84, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The stock has a market cap of $79.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.88. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $275.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $273.68.
Ecolab Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.19%.
Insider Transactions at Ecolab
In other news, COO Darrell R. Brown sold 10,000 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.89, for a total value of $2,608,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 32,733 shares in the company, valued at $8,539,712.37. This trade represents a 23.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Benjamin M. Clark purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $263.83 per share, for a total transaction of $263,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 1,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,727.89. This represents a 1,204.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have issued reports on ECL. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $305.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $337.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $352.00 to $345.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ecolab has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $327.56.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Ecolab
Ecolab 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.
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