Ecolab Inc. Q1 Profit Increases, beats estimates

(RTTNews) - Ecolab Inc. (ECL) announced earnings for its first quarter that increased from the same period last year and beat the Street estimates.

The company's earnings totaled $233.4 million, or $0.82 per share. This compares with $171.9 million, or $0.60 per share, in last year's first quarter.

Excluding items, Ecolab Inc. reported adjusted earnings of $250.5 million or $0.88 per share for the period.

Analysts on average had expected the company to earn $0.86 per share, according to figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

The company's revenue for the quarter rose 9.2% to $3.57 billion from $3.27 billion last year.

Ecolab Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) :

-Earnings (Q1): $233.4 Mln. vs. $171.9 Mln. last year. -EPS (Q1): $0.82 vs. $0.60 last year. -Analyst Estimate: $0.86 -Revenue (Q1): $3.57 Bln vs. $3.27 Bln last year.

-Guidance: Next quarter EPS guidance: $1.15 to $1.25