Ecolab (ECL) reported $4 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 1%. EPS of $1.83 for the same period compares to $1.54 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.02 billion, representing a surprise of -0.65%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +0.55%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.82.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Ecolab performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Sales- Global Healthcare and Life Sciences (Fixed Currency rates): $334.10 million versus $330.73 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -16.6% change.
• Sales- Global Industrial (Public Currency rates): $1.97 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $2 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6.8%.
• Sales- Global Institutional & Specialty (Public Currency rates): $1.39 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.39 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +6.2%.
• Sales- Global Institutional & Specialty (Fixed Currency rates): $1.40 billion versus the three-analyst average estimate of $1.40 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.3%.
• Sales- Global Pest Elimination (Public Currency rates): $307.20 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $307.44 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -19.6%.
• Sales- Global Pest Elimination (Fixed Currency Rates): $308.70 million compared to the $310.22 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Sales- Global Industrial (Fixed Currency rates): $1.99 billion versus $2 billion estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +9.1% change.
• Sales- Global Healthcare & Life Sciences (Public Currency rates): $330.40 million compared to the $363.51 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -18.7% year over year.
• Operating Income- Global Industrial (Public Currency rates): $342.70 million compared to the $332.85 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Operating Income- Global Pest Elimination (Public Currency rates): $62.80 million compared to the $64.71 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Operating Income- Global Institutional & Specialty (Public Currency rates): $322.80 million compared to the $324.72 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Operating Income- Global Industrial (Fixed Currency rates): $349.10 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $331.73 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Ecolab here>>>

Shares of Ecolab have returned +0.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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