Ecolab (ECL) Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates

Core Insights - Ecolab reported quarterly earnings of $1.68 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.66 per share, and showing an increase from $1.24 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of 1.20% [1] - The company posted revenues of $3.99 billion for the quarter ended June 2024, which was below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.22%, but an increase from $3.85 billion year-over-year [2] - Ecolab's stock has increased approximately 25% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 14.5% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.78 on revenues of $4.1 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $6.58 on revenues of $15.98 billion [6] - The estimate revisions trend for Ecolab is mixed, leading to a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [5] Industry Context - The Chemical - Specialty industry, to which Ecolab belongs, is currently in the top 40% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [7] - Another company in the same industry, Valvoline, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.49 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 14%, with revenues projected at $422.41 million, up 12.3% from the previous year [8][9]