Ecolab reported first-quarter diluted earnings of $1.52 a share, up 8% from $1.41 a year earlier, as sales rose 10% to $4.07 billion from $3.70 billion.
Adjusted diluted earnings climbed 13% to $1.70 a share from $1.50. Operating income increased 12% to $622.0 million from $555.3 million, while adjusted operating income rose 15% to $679.7 million from $589.6 million. The company’s reported operating margin was 15.3%, and adjusted operating margin widened 70 basis points to 16.7%.
Organic sales accelerated to 4% from 2% in the prior period. Organic sales totaled $3.96 billion, up from $3.82 billion, while organic operating income increased 8% to $664.9 million from $616.2 million.
Net income attributable to Ecolab rose 7% to $432.6 million from $402.5 million. Adjusted net income increased 13% to $482.5 million from $427.1 million.
By segment, Global Water sales increased 12% on a reported basis to $2.04 billion from $1.83 billion, with operating income up 13% to $299.3 million from $264.1 million. Global Institutional & Specialty sales rose 7% to $1.51 billion from $1.42 billion, and operating income increased 16% to $348.2 million from $301.2 million. Global Pest Elimination sales climbed 11% to $310.8 million from $280.6 million, with operating income up 12% to $51.9 million from $46.5 million. Global Life Sciences posted the fastest growth, with sales up 18% to $200.9 million from $170.0 million and operating income jumping 42% to $37.7 million from $26.6 million.
Ecolab’s digital sales rose 24% to $99 million.
The company repurchased about 1.3 million shares during the quarter.
For 2026, Ecolab kept its adjusted diluted EPS outlook at $8.43 to $8.63, compared with $7.53 in 2025, implying growth of 12% to 15%. For the second quarter, it expects adjusted diluted EPS of $2.02 to $2.12, up 7% to 12% from $1.89 a year earlier. Following these announcements, the company's shares moved -0.72%, and are now trading at a price of $269.49. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.
