Some Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Co-Chief Operating Officer of Global Businesses, Gregory Russell Cook, recently sold a substantial US$1.3m worth of stock at a price of US$285 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 23%, which is notable but not too bad.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ecolab

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Director Michel Dimitrios Doukeris bought US$2.0m worth of shares at a price of US$258 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$278 per share to be enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. Happily, the Ecolab insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 11.30k shares worth US$2.9m. But insiders sold 4.57k shares worth US$1.3m. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Ecolab insiders. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Ecolab is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 0.1% of Ecolab shares, worth about US$92m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Ecolab Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Ecolab we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Ecolab.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.