Ecolab's Earnings Outlook

On Tuesday, July 27, Ecolab ECL will release its latest earnings report. Check out Benzinga's preview to understand the implications.

What Are Earnings, Net Income, And Earnings Per Share?

Earnings and EPS are useful metrics of profitability. Total earnings also known as net income is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. Dividing net income by the total number of shares outstanding yields EPS.

Earnings And Revenue

Wall Street expects EPS of $1.2 and sales around $3.11 billion. Ecolab reported a profit of $0.65 per share when it published results during the same quarter last year. Sales in that period totaled $2.69 billion.

Why Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises Are Important

Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.

If the company were to match the consensus estimate when it reports Tuesday, EPS would be up 84.62%. Sales would be up 15.79% from the same quarter last year. Here is how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Want Real-Time Earnings Calendar Updates?

Benzinga consistently updates its earnings calendars to stay up-to-date with the latest company earnings reports. Check out the full earnings calendar list updated in real-time by following this link.

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares of Ecolab are up 12.06%.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Ecolab is scheduled to hold the call at 13:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.