Donaldson Capital Management LLC Cuts Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Donaldson Capital Management LLC cut its stake in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 24,556 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,649 shares during the period. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,725,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ecolab during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new stake in Ecolab during the third quarter worth about $28,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp lifted its stake in shares of Ecolab by 202.6% in the 2nd quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Ecolab by 81.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of ECL opened at $282.03 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a one year low of $221.62 and a one year high of $286.04. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $269.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $269.96. 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 company has a market capitalization of $79.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.99.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 21,714 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $257.60 per share, with a total value of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ECL shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays raised their price objective on Ecolab from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.33.

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.