Zacks Investment Research·4 days ago
Ecolab Closes CoolIT Acquisition, Strengthens AI Cooling PortfolioECL's $4.75B CoolIT acquisition boosts its AI cooling portfolio and positions High-Tech as a major long-term growth engine.
Ecolab Inc.(ECL)Earnings, Financials & Key Ratios
ECL•NYSE
$283.08
38.9× P/E·Price updated Jul 7, 2026
AboutEcolab Inc. provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, and Global Healthcare & Life Sciences segments. The Global Industrial segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, metals and mining, power generation, pulp and paper, commercial laundry, petroleum, refining, and petrochemical industries. The Global Institutional & Specialty segment provides specialized cleaning and sanitizing products to the foodservice, hospitality, lodging, government and education, and retail industries. Its Global Healthcare & Life Sciences segment offers specialized cleaning and sanitizing products to the healthcare, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries, such as infection prevention and surgical solutions, and end-to-end cleaning and contamination control solutions under the Ecolab, Microtek, and Anios brand names. The company's Other segment offers pest elimination services to detect, eliminate, and prevent pests, such as rodents and insects in restaurants, food and beverage processors, educational and healthcare facilities, hotels, quick service restaurant and grocery operations, and other institutional and commercial customers. This segment also provides colloidal silica for binding and polishing applications in semiconductor, catalyst, and aerospace component manufacturing, as well as chemical industries; and products and services that manage wash process through custom designed programs, premium products, dispensing equipment, water and energy management, and reduction, as well as real time data management. It sells its products through field sales and corporate account personnel, distributors, and dealers. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota.Show more
- Revenue$16.08B+2.2%
- EBITDA$3.59B+1.1%
- Net Income$2.08B-1.7%
- EPS (Diluted)7.28-1.2%
- Gross Margin44.51%+2.4%
- EBITDA Margin22.29%-1.1%
- Operating Margin18.11%+9.1%
- Net Margin12.91%-3.8%
- ROE22.33%-10.9%
ECL Price & Volume
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) stock price & volume — 10-year historical chart
Loading chart...
Stagnant Revenue Growth Challenges Premium Valuation Multiples
Investment Thesis • Updated 2026Q1
VerdictNeutral
Growth:Mixed
Profitability:Strong
Financial:Healthy
Cash Flow:Mixed
Primary Risk:Input cost volatility exposure
Key Thesis Takeaways
- Ecolab faces a critical inflection point where its historical premium valuation, currently reflected in a 38.96 P/E ratio, is increasingly challenged by decelerating top-line momentum and inconsistent free cash flow generation.
- While the company maintains resilient gross margins near 44%, the reliance on debt-funded expansion—evidenced by $9.4 billion in goodwill—creates significant balance sheet sensitivity.
- Investors should monitor whether the company can achieve sustainable operating leverage beyond the current 15.3% margin level to justify its high market expectations.
Verdict Logic
the current 38.96 P/E ratio appears difficult to sustain given the recent revenue growth deceleration to 2.16% and the tightening liquidity position indicated by a current ratio that dropped to 0.99 in 2026Q1.
ECL Growth Metrics
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) revenue, earnings & EPS growth — 3, 5 & 10-year CAGR
Revenue CAGR
10 Years1.73%
5 Years6.4%
3 Years4.26%
TTM4.9%
Profit CAGR
10 Years7.55%
5 Years-
3 Years23.88%
TTM0.14%
EPS CAGR
10 Years8.17%
5 Years-
3 Years24.09%
TTM0.41%
Return on Capital
10 Years12.41%
5 Years12.53%
3 Years14.39%
Last Year15.85%
ECL Recent Earnings
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) EPS & revenue vs analyst estimates — last 4 quarters
●Beat EPS 6/12 qtrs (50%)●Beat Revenue 7/12 qtrs (58%)
Q2 2026Latest
Apr 28, 2026Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$1.70+0.0%
$1.70
Rev
$4.1B+1.0%
$4.0B
Q1 2026
Feb 10, 2026Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$2.08+0.5%
$2.07
Rev
$4.2B+0.1%
$4.2B
Q4 2025
Oct 28, 2025Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$2.07+0.0%
$2.07
Rev
$4.2B+1.1%
$4.1B
Q3 2025
Jul 29, 2025Metric
Actual
Est
EPS
$1.89-0.5%
$1.90
Rev
$4.0B+0.1%
$4.0B
| Quarter | Date | EPS (Act vs Est) | Revenue (Act vs Est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026Latest | Apr 28, 2026 | $1.70vs $1.70+0.0% | $4.1Bvs $4.0B+1.0% |
| Q1 2026 | Feb 10, 2026 | $2.08vs $2.07+0.5% | $4.2Bvs $4.2B+0.1% |
| Q4 2025 | Oct 28, 2025 | $2.07vs $2.07+0.0% | $4.2Bvs $4.1B+1.1% |
| Q3 2025 | Jul 29, 2025 | $1.89vs $1.90-0.5% | $4.0Bvs $4.0B+0.1% |
Based on last 12 quarters of dataView full earnings history →
Latest ECL News
Recent stock market news and headlines for Ecolab Inc. (ECL)
Zacks Investment Research·Jun 24, 2026
Here's Why You Should Retain Ecolab Stock in Your Portfolio NowECL's strong Q1 earnings, digital growth and expanding high-tech platform support long-term upside despite rising cost pressures.
Business Wire·Jun 17, 2026
Ecolab Schedules Webcast and Conference Call on July 28, 2026ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ecolab will host a live webcast to discuss its second quarter 2026 results. A news release containing second quarter results is expected to be issued before market open on July 28, 2026. Details for the public webcast are as follows: TIME: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time DATE: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 DURATION: One hour LOCATION: www.ecolab.com/investor ARCHIVE: A replay of the webcast and supplemental data will be available on Ecolab's website. About Ecolab A trusted par.
Peers Comparison
Key metrics vs top competitors for Ecolab Inc. (ECL)
| Company | Price | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | Rev Growth (1Y) | Net Margin | ROE | Div Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $283.08 | $79.67B | 38.88 | 2.16% | 12.91% | 22.33% | 0.93% | |
| $342.26 | $84.41B | 33.33 | 2.06% | 10.86% | 58.23% | — | |
| $81.83 | $20.9B | -56.05 | -5.17% | 7.78% | 5.88% | — | |
| $108.28 | $13.87B | 20.24 | 0.51% | 8.63% | 21.79% | — | |
| $11.59 | $1.45B | -0.65 | -18.34% | -72.93% | -82.27% | — | |
| $98.95 | $23.44B | 32.76 | 1.57% | 11.81% | 17.45% | — |
Compare ECL vs Peers
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) vs competitors — business, growth, and fundamentals comparison against the closest industry rivals.
ECL SEC Filings & Documents
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) SEC filings — annual & quarterly reports (10-K, 10-Q)
8-K Announcements
6Material company update
May 29, 2026·SEC
Material company update
May 11, 2026·SEC
Material company update
Apr 28, 2026·SEC
10-K Annual Reports
210-Q Quarterly Reports
4Get notified when ECL posts new earnings or crosses analyst targets
Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.
ECL Frequently Asked Questions
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) stock FAQ — growth, dividends, profitability & financials explained
Growth & Financials
What is Ecolab Inc.'s revenue?
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) reported $16.45B in revenue for fiscal year 2025. This represents a 1004% increase from $1.49B in 1996.
How fast is Ecolab Inc. growing?
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) grew revenue by 2.2% over the past year. Growth has been modest.
Is ECL profitable?
Yes, Ecolab Inc. (ECL) is profitable, generating $2.11B in net income for fiscal year 2025 (12.9% net margin).
Dividend & Returns
Does ECL pay dividends?
Yes, Ecolab Inc. (ECL) pays a dividend with a yield of 0.93%. This makes it attractive for income-focused investors.
What is ECL's return on equity?
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) has a return on equity (ROE) of 22.3%. This is excellent, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
What is Ecolab Inc.'s free cash flow?
Ecolab Inc. (ECL) generated $1.87B in free cash flow for fiscal year 2025. Positive FCF indicates the company can fund dividends, buybacks, or reinvestment.