Countdown to Ecolab (ECL) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Estimates Beyond Revenue and EPS

Wall Street analysts forecast that Ecolab (ECL) will report quarterly earnings of $2.06 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 13.8%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $4.19 billion, exhibiting an increase of 4.7% compared to the year-ago quarter.

The current level reflects a downward revision of 0.2% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their initial projections over this period.

Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.

In light of this perspective, let's dive into the average estimates of certain Ecolab metrics that are commonly tracked and forecasted by Wall Street analysts.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Sales- Global Institutional & Specialty (Fixed Currency rates)' of $1.52 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +11.2% from the prior-year quarter.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Sales- Global Pest Elimination (Fixed Currency Rates)' will reach $308.05 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +4.4%.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Sales- Global Water (Fixed currency)' should arrive at $2.02 billion. The estimate indicates a change of -2.3% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Sales- Global Water (Public Currency)' reaching $2.15 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +5.7% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts expect 'Sales- Global Pest Elimination (Public Currency rates)' to come in at $320.40 million. The estimate suggests a change of +9.1% year over year.

The consensus estimate for 'Sales- Global Institutional & Specialty (Public Currency rates)' stands at $1.54 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +13.5% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts forecast 'Operating Income- Global Pest Elimination (Fixed Currency Rates)' to reach $62.72 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $46.30 million.

The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Operating Income- Global Water (Fixed currency)' will likely reach $366.19 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $374.60 million.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Operating Income- Global Institutional & Specialty (Fixed Currency rates)' should come in at $337.21 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $288.40 million in the same quarter last year.

The average prediction of analysts places 'Operating Income- Global Institutional & Specialty (Public Currency rates)' at $348.40 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $285.70 million.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Operating Income- Global Pest Elimination (Public Currency rates)' will reach $62.40 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported $46.10 million in the same quarter last year.

Analysts predict that the 'Operating Income- Global Water (Public Currency)' will reach $394.35 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $365.70 million.

Ecolab shares have witnessed a change of +7.2% in the past month, in contrast to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.5% move. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), ECL is expected closely follow the overall market performance in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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