Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 30,071 Shares of Ecolab Inc. $ECL

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) by 18.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 128,984 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 30,071 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Ecolab were worth $35,323,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Connections Group Inc. purchased a new position in Ecolab in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position in Ecolab by 81.5% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. 74.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ecolab Trading Up 0.6%

Ecolab stock opened at $283.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $269.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $270.08. The company has a market capitalization of $80.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.99. Ecolab Inc. has a 52 week low of $221.62 and a 52 week high of $286.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

Ecolab Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director David Maclennan acquired 750 shares of Ecolab stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $257.60 per share, for a total transaction of $193,200.00. Following the purchase, the director 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Boo Alexander A. De sold 1,422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 5,726 shares in the company, valued at $1,535,999.50. The trade was a 19.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on ECL. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $324.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Ecolab from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. BMO Capital Markets set a $307.00 target price on Ecolab and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Erste Group Bank cut Ecolab from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $307.00 price target on Ecolab in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $297.33.

About Ecolab

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.