Suzanne Vautrinot Sells 1,004 Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) Stock

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) Director Suzanne Vautrinot sold 1,004 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.98, for a total value of $266,039.92. Following the sale, 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE:ECL opened at $260.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.73. Ecolab Inc. has a 1 year low of $243.15 and a 1 year high of $309.27. The company has a market cap of $73.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $262.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $271.52.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70. Ecolab had a return on equity of 22.64% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.73 dividend. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $337.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $330.00 price objective on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Ecolab from $320.00 to $296.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. UBS Group upgraded Ecolab from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $293.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho set a $335.00 price objective on Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $322.53.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ecolab during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. 74.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.