What to Expect From Ecolab's Next Quarterly Earnings Report

Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Ecolab Inc. (ECL) provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company has a market cap of $78 billion and operates through four segments: Global Water, Global Institutional & Specialty, Global Pest Elimination, and Global Life Sciences. 

ECL is expected to release its Q3 2026 earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, October 27. Ahead of the event, analysts expect the company’s EPS to be $2.18 on a diluted basis, up 5.3% from $2.07 in the year-ago quarter. The company has matched or exceeded Wall Street’s EPS estimates in each of its last four quarters.

For fiscal 2026, analysts project the company’s EPS to be $8.16, up 8.4% from $7.53 in fiscal 2025. Moreover, its EPS is expected to rise by roughly 15% year over year (YoY) to $9.38 in fiscal 2027.

ECL stock has declined marginally over the past 52 weeks, lagging behind the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 16.2% rise and the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLB) 9.6% rise during the same time frame.  

ECL has suffered from a slew of reasons plaguing the broader market that have weighed on its shares: uneven industrial demand, cost pressures, concerns over the company’s valuation and growth, to name a few. The company’s acquisition of CoolIT Systems, a leader in direct liquid cooling for high‑density data centers, for $4.8 billion has also added to the same concern, showcasing a case of a trade-off between infrastructure spending and market demand. 

Despite that, the company has reported satisfactory results in its last earnings report. ECL’s Q2 2026 earnings came in with the company surpassing its revenue and adjusted EPS consensus estimates, while coming in at $4.4 billion and $2.09, respectively. The company expects its full-year earnings to be in the range of $8.05 to $8.25 per share. 

Analysts are highly bullish on ECL, with the stock currently rated “Strong Buy” overall. Among the 27 analysts covering the stock, 18 are recommending a “Strong Buy,” two suggest a “Moderate Buy,” and seven suggest a “Hold.” ECL’s average analyst price target is $321.48, indicating an upside of 15.6% from the current levels.