Dividend Aristocrat Ecolab raises dividend for 26th year

Dividend Aristocrat Ecolab (ECL) will raise its quarterly dividend to $0.41 per share in the fourth quarter of 2017. This marks the 26th consecutive year of dividend increases by the water and hygiene company.

Ecolab will raise its quarterly dividend by almost 11 percent to 41 cents per share. This translates into a new dividend yield of 1.2%.

The new dividend will be paid on January 16, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 19, 2017. Ecolab has paid cash dividends on its common stock for 81 consecutive years.

Year-to-date ECL has gained 14.5 percent and trades near its all time high

Commenting on the increase, Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, “This double-digit cash dividend increase reflects our improving business trends, solid financial position and strong cash flows, as well as our commitment to enhancing total shareholder returns.”

Last year Ecolab raised its dividend for the 25th consecutive year.

A trusted partner at more than one million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With 2016 sales of $13 billion and 48,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.