Ecolab Inc. $ECL Shares Sold by Donaldson Capital Management LLC

Donaldson Capital Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 9.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 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 quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $6,725,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ecolab by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,662,213 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,644,987,000 after buying an additional 250,980 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ecolab by 0.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,479,529 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,469,019,000 after acquiring an additional 22,986 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter worth $847,544,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 2,610,791 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $703,452,000 after purchasing an additional 90,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in shares of Ecolab by 9.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,497,626 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $674,497,000 after purchasing an additional 205,634 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.91% of the company’s stock.

Ecolab Stock Performance

Ecolab stock opened at $282.03 on Friday. Ecolab Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $221.62 and a fifty-two week high of $286.04. The company has a market capitalization of $79.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.52, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $269.53 and a two-hundred day moving average 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.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid 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 dividend yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Ecolab’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 41.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on ECL shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 price target on shares of Ecolab and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Ecolab from $291.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Ecolab from $303.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $297.33.

Insider Transactions at Ecolab

In other Ecolab news, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was 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 directly owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 23,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,933,816. The trade was a 3.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

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.