Ecolab (ECL) Up 4.5% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Ecolab (ECL). Shares have added about 4.5% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Ecolab due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, fresh estimates have trended downward during the past month.VGM ScoresCurrently, Ecolab has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of F on the value side, putting it in the fifth quintile for this investment strategy.Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions has been net zero. Notably, Ecolab has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.Performance of an Industry PlayerEcolab is part of the Zacks Chemical - Specialty industry. Over the past month, Element Solutions (ESI), a stock from the same industry, has gained 5.1%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended March 2025 more than a month ago.Element Solutions reported revenues of $593.7 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +3.3%. EPS of $0.34 for the same period compares with $0.34 a year ago.For the current quarter, Element Solutions is expected to post earnings of $0.33 per share, indicating a change of -8.3% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Element Solutions. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of D.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Ecolab Inc. (ECL): Free Stock Analysis Report Element Solutions Inc. (ESI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks