Ecolab Company Profile (NYSE:ECL)

Ecolab trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "ECL."

Ecolab announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share on Monday, October 16th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 18th. View Ecolab's Dividend History.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August, 1st. The company reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks' consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.01. The firm earned $3.46 billion during 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 firm's revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. View Ecolab's Earnings History.

Ecolab is scheduled to release their next quarterly earnings announcement on Tuesday, November, 7th 2017. View Earnings Estimates for Ecolab.

Ecolab issued an update on its FY17 earnings guidance on Tuesday, August, 1st. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $4.70-4.90 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $4.79. Ecolab also updated its Q3 guidance to $1.36-1.44 EPS.

14 brokers have issued 12 month price objectives for Ecolab's stock. Their predictions range from $117.00 to $145.00. On average, they anticipate Ecolab's share price to reach $132.67 in the next twelve months. View Analyst Ratings for Ecolab.

Here are some recent quotes from research analysts about Ecolab stock:

• 1. According to Zacks Investment Research, "Over the last six months Ecolab outperformed the broader industry trends in terms of price movements. Furthermore, an upbeat outlook for 2018 instills our confidence. We believe a robust product portfolio and an expanding customer base will drive Ecolab organic sales over the long haul. In fact, the realization of targeted synergies associated with acquisitions should also pave way for margin expansion. Ecolab expects its water, food and beverage, and paper businesses to benefit in the near term. On the flipside, Ecolab operates in highly competitive markets, which might dent its prospects over the long haul. We believe volatility in foreign currency exchange rates will remain a significant headwind for the company. Ecolab faces pricing pressure in the Energy segment which is likely to hurt profits. The company exited the first quarter of 2017 on a disappointing note, missing the Zacks consensus earnings estimate." (7/27/2017)
• 2. Canaccord Genuity analysts commented, "We find Ecolab very well positioned to benefit from the convergence of population growth, resource volatility and rapid industrialization across the world. The company’s recurring services model drives high visibility (even in a variable macro environment)." (3/15/2017)

Some companies that are related to Ecolab include Johnson Matthey PLC (JMAT), Huntsman Corporation (HUN), Cytec Industries (CYT), W.R. Grace & Co. (GRA), Croda International Plc (CRDA), Valvoline (VVV), Versum Materials (VSM), Cabot Corporation (CBT), Sensient Technologies Corporation (SXT), Platform Specialty Products Corporation (PAH), Trinseo S.A. (TSE), Kronos Worldwide (KRO), Minerals Technologies (MTX), Victrex plc (VCT), Stepan Company (SCL), Ferro Corporation (FOE), Synthomer PLC (SYNT) and Innospec (IOSP).

Ecolab's management team includes the folowing people:

• Douglas M. Baker Jr., Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer
• Thomas W. Handley, President, Chief Operating Officer
• Daniel J. Schmechel, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer
• Larry L. Berger, Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Officer
• James J. Seifert, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary
• Laurie M. Marsh, Executive Vice President - Human Resources
• Christophe Beck, Executive Vice President and President – Global Water & Process Services
• Alex N. Blanco, Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer
• Michael A. Hickey, Executive Vice President, President - Global Institutional
• Roberto Inchaustegui, Executive Vice President and President – Global Services and Specialty

Ecolab's stock is owned by a variety of of retail and institutional investors. Top institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group Inc. (7.19%), BlackRock Inc. (5.29%), State Street Corp (4.03%), C WorldWide Group Holding A S (1.28%), Franklin Resources Inc. (1.28%) and Alliancebernstein L.P. (1.20%). Company insiders that own Ecolab stock include Bruno Lavandier, Bryan L Hughes, Carl M Casale, Christophe Beck, David Maclennan, Douglas M Baker Jr, Douglas M Baker, Jr, James J Seifert, Jerry A Grundhofer, Jerry W Levin, Larry L Berger, Michael A Hickey, Stephen M Taylor, Thomas W Handley, Timothy P Mulhere and William H Gates III. View Institutional Ownership Trends for Ecolab.

Ecolab's stock was sold by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including FMR LLC, Wells Fargo & Company MN, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Pioneer Investment Management Inc., Davis Selected Advisers, Winslow Capital Management LLC, State Street Corp and Bank of New York Mellon Corp. Company insiders that have sold Ecolab stock in the last year include Bruno Lavandier, Christophe Beck, Jerry W Levin, Michael A Hickey, Stephen M Taylor and Thomas W Handley. View Insider Buying and Selling for Ecolab.

Ecolab's stock was acquired by a variety of institutional investors in the last quarter, including Vanguard Group Inc., Eaton Vance Management, Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, BlackRock Inc., C WorldWide Group Holding A S, Pictet Asset Management Ltd., Alecta Pensionsforsakring Omsesidigt and New York State Common Retirement Fund. Company insiders that have bought Ecolab stock in the last two years include Carl M Casale, David Maclennan and William H Gates III. View Insider Buying and Selling for Ecolab.

Shares of Ecolab can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages include Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Scottrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.

One share of Ecolab stock can currently be purchased for approximately $131.50.