For the quarter ended June 2026, Ecolab (ECL) reported revenue of $4.42 billion, up 9.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.09, compared to $1.89 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.4% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.4 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.08, the EPS surprise was +0.48%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
Here is how Ecolab performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Net Sales- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Pest Elimination: $350.5 million compared to the $348.91 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +12.6% year over year. Net Sales- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Water: $2.22 billion versus $2.21 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +16.1% change. Net Sales- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Life Sciences: $221 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $209.2 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +25.1%. Net Sales- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Institutional & Specialty: $1.62 billion versus $1.65 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +7% change. Net Sales- Public Currency Rates- Global Life Sciences: $220.1 million versus $213.1 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +18.4% change. Net Sales- Public Currency Rates- Global Pest Elimination: $351.1 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $345.2 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +10.6%. Net Sales- Public Currency Rates- Global Institutional & Specialty: $1.62 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.65 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +4.9%. Net Sales- Public Currency Rates- Global Water: $2.22 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2.23 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +12.5%. Operating Income (loss)- Fixed Currency Rates- Corporate: $-110 million versus $-58.5 million estimated by two analysts on average. Operating Income (loss)- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Water: $347.7 million versus $362.82 million estimated by two analysts on average. Operating Income (loss)- Fixed Currency Rates- Global Institutional & Specialty: $389.9 million compared to the $393.28 million average estimate based on two analysts. Operating Income (loss)- Public Currency Rates- Global Water: $348.8 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $366.8 million.View all Key Company Metrics for Ecolab here>>>
Shares of Ecolab have returned -2.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).