Ecolab raises annual profit forecast on pricing, high-tech demand

• The company raised its full-year 2026 adjusted diluted earnings forecast to between $8.05 and $8.25 per share, from a prior range of $8.03 to $8.23 per share.
• It forecast third-quarter adjusted diluted earnings of between $2.13 and $2.23 per share, compared with $2.07 per share a year earlier.
• Ecolab said customer disruptions from the conflict in the Middle East and higher commodity costs weighed on the quarter. However, pricing rose 4%, helped by the early rollout of an energy surcharge.
• The company expects total pricing to rise 5% to 6% in the second half of 2026 as it gets the full benefit of the surcharge.

• Ecolab said organic sales in its Global High-Tech business rose 29% in the quarter, driven by demand from microelectronics and data-center customers.
• The company recently completed its acquisition of liquid-cooling provider CoolIT Systems, expanding its exposure to AI infrastructure. CoolIT's pre-acquisition sales rose more than 100% in the first half of the year.
• The St. Paul, Minnesota-based company posted adjusted diluted earnings of $2.09 per share for the three months ended June 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of $2.08 per share, according to LSEG data.

July 28 (Reuters) - Water solutions company Ecolab ECL.N on Tuesday raised its full-year profit forecast after reporting an 11% rise in second-quarter adjusted earnings, helped by stronger pricing, productivity gains and growth in its high-tech and life sciences businesses.

Companies supplying water treatment, cooling and cleaning systems are seeking to benefit from the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence-focused data centers, which require sophisticated cooling and water-management technologies.