Ecolab Inc.

Ecolab delivered a mixed performance in the fourth quarter. Organic sales increased by 12%, and sector-wise growth was strong but the company failed to meet the revenue expectations of Wall Street. Industrial increased by 14% and Institutional and Specialty increased by 11%. Healthcare & Life Sciences resumed growth and delivered 7% organic growth. Pest Elimination also continued to be very strong, increasing by 10%. Volumes outside Europe remained stable year-over-year. Their net new business pipeline had significant results. Nonetheless, the management continues to predict that inflation will remain high long into the year. They also anticipate that interest rates will rise and have a growing influence on demand in most countries. Besides, geopolitics in Europe, China, and the Middle East will remain unpredictable, with possible adverse effects on their business. The company further anticipates double-digit adjusted operating income growth and adjusted earnings growth in 2023, which keeps advancing towards its low double-digit historical performance. This includes a roughly 7% negative profits headwind in 2023 due to increased interest expenditure and foreign exchange. Among major updates, Ecolab collaborated with TotalEnergies to launch recycled high-density polyethylene (R-HDPE) plastic packaging to promote circularity in industries that utilize a lot of packaging. We give Ecolab Inc. a ‘Hold’ rating with a revised target price.