Business Context and Reporting Period
Company: Ecolab Inc.
Filing Type: Form 8-K (Current Report)
Date of Report: February 12, 2009
Reporting Period: Fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008
This filing announces the earnings results for the fourth quarter of 2008. The detailed financial data is contained in a News Release attached as Exhibit 99 and incorporated by reference.
Key Financial Metrics
The filing text itself does not provide specific numerical values for revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity. These figures are disclosed in the attached News Release (Exhibit 99).
Non-GAAP Disclosure: The company discloses non-GAAP pro forma diluted earnings per share. These figures exclude special gains and charges and discrete tax items for the fourth quarter and the full years ended December 31, 2008, and 2007.
Material Changes
The filing does not explicitly detail material changes versus the prior comparable period within the main text. Investors must refer to the attached News Release for specific year-over-year comparisons and operational changes.
Guidance, Outlook, and Management Commentary
Management Rationale: Management states that disclosing non-GAAP financial measures helps investors understand underlying business performance by facilitating comparisons of current and prior period operating results, eliminating the effects of non-recurring items.
Guidance and Risks: The filing text does not contain specific forward-looking guidance, risk factors, or contingencies. These details are expected to be found in the referenced News Release.
Investor Verification Checklist
- Review the attached News Release (Exhibit 99) for specific GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share figures.
- Verify the specific amounts of special gains, charges, and discrete tax items excluded from the non-GAAP calculations.
- Compare the fourth quarter 2008 results against the fourth quarter 2007 results as detailed in the News Release.
- Check the company website (www.ecolab.com) for the full text of the News Release if the exhibit is not immediately accessible.