Ecolab Clocks 10% Sales Growth In Q4; Bottom-Line Misses Consensus

Ecolab Inc ECL reported fourth-quarter FY21 sales growth of 10% year-on-year, to $3.36 billion, beating the analyst consensus of $3.29 billion.
Sales from Global Industrial rose 8% Y/Y, Global Institutional & Specialty climbed 19%Y/Y, Global Healthcare & Life Sciences sales fell 6%.
EPS of $1.28 missed the analyst consensus of $1.31.
Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 7% Y/Y. The operating margin was 11.5%, and operating income for the quarter fell 7% to $387.7 million.
The company held $359.9 million in cash and equivalents as of December 31, 2021.
Ecolab looks for Q1 to show healthy sales growth and a flattish year-over-year EPS comparison impacted by continued high raw material and freight costs.
For 2022, the company expects sales, pricing, and cost efficiency actions to deliver continued strong sales gains with adjusted EPS growth reaching low-teens levels, assuming that inflation and supply constraints ease as the year progresses.
Price Action: ECL shares are trading higher by 0.10% at $183.10 on the last check Tuesday.

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