Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Purchased by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 34.6% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 8,486 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,183 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $2,323,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Ecolab by 164.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $867,000 after purchasing an additional 2,302 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Ecolab by 39.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,384 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 7.1% during the second quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 960 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 148.1% in the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 10,184 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,744,000 after acquiring an additional 6,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Ecolab by 11.3% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,178 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of Ecolab stock opened at $290.63 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $270.82 and a 200 day moving average of $270.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $82.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.76, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $291.08.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given 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%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore upgraded Ecolab from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $265.00 to $300.00 in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.33.

Insider Activity at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.41, for a total value of $5,676,256.74. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 72,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,989,868.04. This represents a 23.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. This trade represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.