Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Ecolab (ECL) Q3 Earnings

Core Insights - Ecolab reported $4 billion in revenue for Q3 2024, a year-over-year increase of 1%, with an EPS of $1.83 compared to $1.54 a year ago [1] - The revenue fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.02 billion, resulting in a surprise of -0.65%, while the EPS exceeded expectations by +0.55% [1] Revenue Performance - Global Healthcare and Life Sciences sales were $334.10 million, below the estimated $330.73 million, reflecting a -16.6% change year-over-year [3] - Global Industrial sales reached $1.97 billion, slightly below the $2 billion estimate, showing a +6.8% year-over-year increase [3] - Global Institutional & Specialty sales were $1.39 billion, matching the analyst estimate, with a +6.2% year-over-year change [3] - Global Pest Elimination sales were $307.20 million, slightly below the estimate of $307.44 million, indicating a -19.6% year-over-year decline [3] - Global Healthcare & Life Sciences (Public Currency rates) sales were $330.40 million, significantly lower than the $363.51 million estimate, representing an -18.7% change year-over-year [3] Operating Income - Global Industrial operating income was $342.70 million, exceeding the average estimate of $332.85 million [3] - Global Pest Elimination operating income was $62.80 million, below the estimate of $64.71 million [3] - Global Institutional & Specialty operating income was $322.80 million, slightly below the average estimate of $324.72 million [3] Stock Performance - Ecolab shares returned +0.4% over the past month, underperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [4]