Ecolab Inc. (ECL) Earns Hold Rating from Jefferies Group LLC

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reiterated by research analysts at Jefferies Group LLC in a research note issued on Wednesday. They currently have a $130.00 target price on the basic materials company’s stock. Jefferies Group LLC’s target price would suggest a potential downside of 0.18% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. BidaskClub downgraded shares of Ecolab from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday. UBS AG restated a “buy” rating and issued a $147.00 target price (up from $144.00) on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. Credit Suisse Group set a $128.00 target price on shares of Ecolab and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus restated a “hold” rating and issued a $130.00 target price on shares of Ecolab in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Ecolab presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $134.20.

Shares of Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) opened at 130.23 on Wednesday. Ecolab has a one year low of $110.65 and a one year high of $134.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.77 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $132.10 and a 200 day moving average of $128.08.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.40 billion. Ecolab had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ecolab will post $4.80 EPS for the current year.

In related news, SVP Bruno Lavandier sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.52, for a total transaction of $133,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 8,922 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,191,265.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael A. Hickey sold 13,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.30, for a total transaction of $1,798,810.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 37,851 shares of company stock valued at $5,012,802 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.49% of the company’s stock.

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co boosted its stake in Ecolab by 60.0% in the first quarter. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co now owns 800 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Ecolab by 4.8% in the second quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 763 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $101,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors boosted its stake in Ecolab by 2.5% in the first quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 871 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $109,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Ecolab by 4.9% in the second quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harfst & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Ecolab during the first quarter worth approximately $117,000. 75.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Ecolab

Ecolab Inc provides water, hygiene and energy technologies and services. The Company’s cleaning and sanitizing programs and products, pest elimination services and equipment maintenance and repair services support customers in the foodservice, food and beverage processing, hospitality, healthcare, government and education, retail, textile care and commercial facilities management sectors in over 170 countries.