Ecolab EVP Larry Berger sells $2.9 million in stock

Larry L. Berger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at Ecolab Inc . (NYSE:ECL), recently sold shares in the company valued at approximately $2.9 million. The sale took place on February 26, 2025, with Berger offloading 10,858 shares at a weighted average price of $266.953 per share. The transaction comes as ECL trades near its 52-week high of $269.23, with technical indicators suggesting the stock is in overbought territory.

In addition to the sale, Berger exercised stock options to acquire 20,662 shares at prices ranging from $158.515 to $184.39 per share. The total value of these acquisitions was approximately $3.5 million. Following these transactions, Berger’s direct ownership stands at 17,385 shares. The company currently trades at a P/E ratio of 36x, reflecting premium market valuations for this $75 billion market cap leader.

Ecolab, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ECL. With an impressive track record of 39 consecutive years of dividend increases and an overall "GREAT" financial health score according to InvestingPro, which offers 13 additional valuable insights about ECL’s investment potential through its comprehensive Pro Research Report.

In other recent news, Ecolab Inc. reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, meeting analysts’ expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.81 and slightly surpassing revenue forecasts at $4.01 billion. This performance highlights Ecolab’s steady growth and effective cost management strategies. Following the earnings release, Piper Sandler raised the price target for Ecolab shares to $310 from $270, maintaining an Overweight rating due to the company’s strong performance and optimistic future projections. Furthermore, Ecolab declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.65 per share, marking the 88th consecutive year of cash dividends, showcasing its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

In addition, Ecolab announced the appointment of Michel Doukeris, CEO of AB InBev, to its board as an independent director, a move that aligns with the company’s focus on sustainable growth. Doukeris’s extensive experience in sustainability initiatives is expected to support Ecolab’s mission. The company also emphasized its plans for significant investments in renewable energy projects, aiming to develop 2.5 gigawatts of renewables by 2027. These recent developments reflect Ecolab’s strategic efforts to enhance its market position and drive long-term growth in sustainability and shareholder value.

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