$ECL

ECOLAB INC. (ECL) filed an SEC Form 8-K — Results of Operations and Financial Condition. Exhibit 99.1 News Release Investor Contact: Media Contact: Andrew Hedberg (651) 250-2185 Victoria Whitney (651) 250-4724 ECOLAB DELIVERS STRONG AND ACCELERATING OPERATING PERFORMANCE REPORTED DILUTED EPS $1.95; ADJUSTED DILUTED EPS $2.18, +5% 2026 ADJUSTED DILUTED EPS OUTLOOK: $8

Ecolab Inc. reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $2.18, a 5% YoY increase, with organic sales up 7%. The company raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $8.10–$8.20, an 8%–9% increase, and expects Q4 adjusted EPS between $2.13–$2.23. According to Ecolab, growth is driven by high-tech exposure and recent acquisitions.

Ecolab (ECL) reported Q2 2026 revenue of $4.42B, up 9.7% YoY. Its debt exceeded equity for the first time in two years, reaching $13.9B vs. $10.1B equity, due to the acquisition of CoolIT Systems. Management raised its 2026 EPS outlook to $8.05-$8.25, including CoolIT-related costs. Operating income remains strong at 9.4x interest expense.

ZwitterCo, a wastewater filtration solutions provider, received a strategic investment from Ecolab to scale water circularity solutions for food and beverage manufacturers. The partnership aims to combine ZwitterCo's membrane technology with Ecolab's water treatment expertise to improve water reuse in industries with complex wastewater streams.

Bank of America analysts predict a tough Q3 earnings outlook for U.S. chemical stocks due to weak demand and margin pressures. They favor five stocks: Celanese (CE), Ecolab (ECL), Element Solutions (ESI), Dow (DOW), and International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).

On Friday, ETFs saw net outflows of $2.05 billion. SPY had inflows of $3.47 billion, while QQQ had outflows of $3.33 billion and IGV saw $746.5 million in outflows. Arch Capital Group (ACGL) had the highest additions at $185.2 million, and Gilead Sciences (GILD) had the highest trims at -$200.9 million.

Analysts from RBC Capital and others provided updates on Corteva (CTVA), Vale SA (VALE), and Ecolab (ECL). Corteva received a Buy rating with a $17.00 target, Vale a Hold with a $16.00 target, and Ecolab a Buy with a $337.00 target. Analyst consensus for Corteva is Strong Buy, Vale is Hold, and Ecolab is Strong Buy.

Waste Connections (WCN) raised prices 5.6% in Q2, expanding EBITDA margins despite volume decline. Ecolab (ECL) saw 5% organic sales growth, driven by pricing. Grainger (GWW) maintained margins with 4% pricing. ADP (ADP) reported 130 bps revenue growth from pricing. Linde (LIN) increased prices 2%, with record backlog. All maintained dividends through downturns.

Citi analysts named Ecolab Inc. (ECL) their top pick in North America's specialty chemicals sector, citing strong order growth, data center cooling opportunities, and robust pricing. The firm expects 10-12% growth in Life Sciences and 6-8% in Pest Control, with medium-term targets to be announced at an upcoming Investor Day. Despite industry challenges, Ecolab's pricing initiatives and growth levers are expected to offset headwinds.

Honeywell and Ecolab executives discussed AI's limitations at Fortune’s AIQ Summit. Honeywell's CTO noted AI's accuracy falls short of customer demands, while Ecolab's AI chief highlighted cost challenges. Both companies use a mix of frontier and open-source models. Honeywell aims for semi-autonomy in industrial settings, and Ecolab expects $325M in annual savings by 2027 from AI.