We wouldn't blame Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Angela Busch, a company insider, recently netted about US$1.0m selling shares at an average price of US$184. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 28%, which is notable but not too bad.

Check out our latest analysis for Ecolab

Ecolab Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the CEO & Chairman of the Board, Christophe Beck, sold US$1.5m worth of shares at a price of US$174 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$184. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. We note that the biggest single sale was only 14% of Christophe Beck's holding.

In total, Ecolab insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Ecolab better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Ecolab

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. It's great to see that Ecolab insiders own 0.5% of the company, worth about US$255m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Do The Ecolab Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider hasn't bought Ecolab stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. On the plus side, Ecolab makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. 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. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Ecolab that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

Of course Ecolab may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.

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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.