National Pension Service Raises Stake in Ecolab Inc. $ECL

National Pension Service lifted its position in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 1.7% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 597,913 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,837 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $163,744,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ECL. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Ecolab by 162.4% in the 3rd quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 5,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,469,000 after buying an additional 3,320 shares during the period. Twin City Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 2.7% in the third quarter. Twin City Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,660 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $456,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Ecolab in the third quarter worth about $33,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Ecolab by 9.6% during the third quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 3,432 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $940,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO purchased a new position in Ecolab in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,273,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of ECL opened at $282.03 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The business has a fifty day moving average of $269.53 and a 200 day moving average of $269.96. The company has a market cap of $79.88 billion, a PE ratio of 40.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a 52-week low of $221.62 and a 52-week high of $286.04.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price objective on Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Ecolab news, Director David Maclennan purchased 750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 23,035 shares in the company, valued at $5,933,816. This represents a 3.37% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.25, for a total value of $381,451.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.