Brokerages Set Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Target Price at $297.33

Shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $297.3333.

ECL has been the topic of several research reports. Evercore ISI upgraded Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. This represents a 19.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,989,868.04. The trade was a 23.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Ecolab by 164.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $867,000 after acquiring an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Ecolab by 39.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the period. Cooper Financial Group acquired a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $210,000. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp acquired a new position in shares of Ecolab in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $209,000. Finally, BSW Wealth Partners purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the second quarter worth $257,000. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of ECL opened at $282.19 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $270.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $270.18. Ecolab has a 12-month low of $221.62 and a 12-month high of $286.04.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is a positive change from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 41.95%.

Ecolab Company 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.