Ecolab Inc. (ECL) earnings on July 28, 2026
Prior outlook: No statistical edge
Ecolab shares rose sharply after the company raised its profit outlook and highlighted strong pricing power.
ECL price around the earnings
282.90
Change: +4.2%
2026-07-28, 20:00 UTC
End of the measured window
271.01
275.48
279.94
284.41
271.62
July 28, 2026
- Price: green if it ends above the starting price; red if it ends below
- End of the measured window
- Market open
- Starting price
Prior thesis
Prior outlook: No statistical edge
- Thesis published
- Results released
Analyst bullishness and M&A news are countered by negative trend strength and minimal past earnings surprises, with trajectory cooling.
Context analyzed before publication
- Trend
- Trajectory cooled from strong constructive to negative, indicating a shift from high expectations to potential pricing-in.
Analysts
Evidence
- Analyst consensus
- Buy
- Consensus average (1-5)
- 1.65
- Analysts covering the stock
- 21
- Average price target
- 319.43
- Lowest price target
- 275
- Highest price target
- 345
- Upside to price target
- 17.7%
- Quarterly earnings growth
- 7.5%
- Revenue growth
- 10%
- Forward EPS
- 9.36
- Trailing EPS
- 7.39
- Analyst moves in the last 60 days
- 5
- Strong buy: 5
- Buy: 15
- Hold: 6
- Sell: 0
- Strong sell: 0
- Strong buy
- 5
- Buy
- 15
- Hold
- 6
- Sell
- 0
- Strong sell
- 0
- July 17, 2026 · Oppenheimer: Upgrades rating (Perform → Outperform)
- July 9, 2026 · Deutsche Bank: Maintains rating (Buy → Buy)
- July 7, 2026 · RBC Capital: Reiterates rating (Outperform → Outperform)
- June 24, 2026 · Citigroup: Maintains rating (Buy → Buy)
- June 10, 2026 · Wells Fargo: Maintains rating (Equal-Weight → Equal-Weight)
News and sentiment
Evidence
Sentiment
- Sentiment
- Constructive
- Mention volume
- Low
- Normalized volume
- 33%
News
Sources (5)
- Oppenheimer Upgrades Ecolab to Outperform, Announces $320 Price Target (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Deal Dispatch: Blackstone Buys Dresser Utility, EcoLab Takes Over CoolIT For $4.75B, Whitewater Amphitheater Bankruptcy (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Deutsche Bank Maintains Buy on Ecolab, Raises Price Target to $335 (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- RBC Capital Reiterates Outperform on Ecolab, Maintains $337 Price Target (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab Updates 2026 Adjusted EPS Guidance To $8.03-$8.23, Sees 7%-9% EPS Growth YOY; Expects $0.20/Share Q3 And Q4 CoolIT Impact; Expects Organic Sales Growth Of 6%-7% In Second Half 2026; Adjusted Diluted EPS Growth Of 4% To 5% In Second Half Of Year; Beyond 2026, Ecolab Expects Organic Sales To Grow 5% To 7% (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
Technicals
Evidence
- Average true range (ATR)
- 1.9%
- Distance to 52-week high
- -11.5%
- 14-day change (14d)
- -0.1%
- 30-day change (31d)
- -4.3%
- 30-day relative strength
- -5.5%
- SPY change (31d)
- +1.3%
- Nearest support
- 270.79
- Nearest resistance
- 272.07
- Volume accumulation ratio (14d / 46d)
- 0.67
Trends
Evidence
- Average earnings surprise
- +0.1%
- April 28, 2026: actual EPS 1.7 vs estimate 1.7 (surprise +0.2%)
- February 10, 2026: actual EPS 2.08 vs estimate 2.07 (surprise +0.7%)
- October 28, 2025: actual EPS 2.07 vs estimate 2.07 (surprise -0.1%)
- July 29, 2025: actual EPS 1.89 vs estimate 1.9 (surprise -0.3%)
Expected move
- Implied move
- +1.7%
- Source
- Options chain
Reactions over its last 20 earnings
- Median move
- 3.9%
- 75th percentile move
- 5.6%
- 90th percentile move
- 7.8%
- Up / down moves
- 12 / 8
- Average up move
- +3.9%
- Average down move
- -4.1%
Monitoring and close
What Ecolab Inc. reported
- Status
- Finished
| Actual EPS | 2.09 |
|---|---|
| EPS estimate | 2.08 |
| EPS surprise | +0.5% |
| Revenue | $4,415 million |
| Revenue estimate | $4,388 million |
| Revenue surprise | +0.6% |
Ecolab reported Q2 adjusted EPS of $2.09, beating the $2.08 estimate. Revenue of $4.415B exceeded expectations. Raised 2026 guidance to $8.05-$8.25 and shares rose 4%.
Sources (15)
- Ecolab Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary (opens in a new tab) — Moby
- Ecolab Q2 Earnings Call Highlights (opens in a new tab) — MarketBeat
- Ecolab Inc. (ECL) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript (opens in a new tab) — SeekingAlpha
- Ecolab Q2 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates, Stock Up in Pre-Market (opens in a new tab) — Zacks
- Ecolab Flexes Pricing Muscle, Lifts 2026 Outlook (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab (ECL) Reports Q2 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say (opens in a new tab) — Zacks
- Ecolab Inc. 2026 Q2 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation (opens in a new tab) — SeekingAlpha
- Ecolab (ECL) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates (opens in a new tab) — Zacks
- Ecolab raises 2026 profit forecast after double-digit quarterly EPS growth (opens in a new tab) — Investing.com
- CORRECTION: Ecolab Raises FY2026 Adj EPS Guidance from $8.03-$8.23 to $8.05-$8.25 vs $8.22 Est (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab Sees Q3 Adj EPS $2.13-$2.23 vs $2.18 Est (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab Lowers FY2026 Adj EPS Guidance from $8.43-$8.63 to $8.05-$8.25 vs $8.22 Est (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab reported adjusted earnings of $2.09 per share, beating the $2.08 estimate, and revenue of $4.415B, above the $4.389B expected. — Benzinga
- Ecolab Q2 Adj. EPS $2.09 Beats $2.08 Estimate, Sales $4.415B Beat $4.389B Estimate (opens in a new tab) — Benzinga
- Ecolab Delivers Accelerated Sales Growth and Double-Digit EPS Growth; Reported Diluted EPS $1.90; Adjusted Diluted EPS $2.09, +11%; Raises 2026 Adjusted Diluted EPS Outlook: $8.05 - $8.25, +7% - 10% (opens in a new tab) — Yahoo
Pre-market second reading after the results
- Verdict
- Beat expectations
Heading into the open, the figures don't clearly confirm the prior scenario.
How the stock reacted
- Consolidated
- +4.5%
- Max move
- +4.9%
No verdict: the outlook took no direction, so there is nothing to score as a hit or a miss.