Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.

We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, ExplainedThe Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more information.

Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.

When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Agnico Eagle Mines?Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $3.20 a share, just one day from its upcoming earnings release on April 30, 2026.

By taking the percentage difference between the $3.20 Most Accurate Estimate and the $3.19 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Agnico Eagle Mines has an Earnings ESP of +0.25%. Investors should also know that AEM is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

AEM is just one of a large group of Basic Materials stocks with a positive ESP figure. Ecolab (ECL - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Slated to report earnings on August 4, 2026, Ecolab holds a #3 (Hold) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and its Most Accurate Estimate is $2.16 a share 97 days from its next quarterly update.

Ecolab's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +1.37% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.13.

AEM and ECL's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're ReportedUse the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 29th, 2026

Comerica Bank reduced its stake in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL – Free Report) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 63,721 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,440 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Ecolab were worth $16,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in Ecolab during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in Ecolab by 1,177.8% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 115 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Ecolab by 88.7% during the 3rd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 117 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. 74.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity In related news, CEO Christophe Beck sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $307.37, for a total transaction of $6,147,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 90,794 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,907,351.78. This represents a 18.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Tracy B. Mckibben sold 1,265 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $308.66, for a total transaction of $390,454.90. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,358 shares in the company, valued at $3,505,760.28. This trade represents a 10.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

More Ecolab News Here are the key news stories impacting Ecolab this week:

Positive Sentiment: Ecolab beat Q1 revenue estimates with reported sales of $4.07B (+10% y/y) and accelerated organic growth in Life Sciences, Global High‑Tech, Institutional and Specialty—driving continued double‑digit EPS growth. Ecolab Delivers Accelerated Sales Growth and Double-Digit EPS Growth Positive Sentiment: Digital sales and strong demand in life sciences/tech were highlighted as growth drivers, supporting near-term revenue momentum. ECL Stock Up in Pre-Market Post In-Line Q1 Earnings, Gross Margin Down Neutral Sentiment: Reported adjusted EPS of $1.70 matched consensus; revenue beat but gross margin tightened versus prior year—mixed signal for profitability trends. Ecolab (ECL) Q1 Earnings Match Estimates Neutral Sentiment: The company maintained FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $8.43–$8.63, essentially in line with consensus—providing some reassurance about full‑year targets despite near‑term uncertainty. MarketBeat Ecolab Coverage Negative Sentiment: Ecolab set Q2 EPS guidance of $2.02–$2.12, which sits slightly below consensus and prompted investor caution; management flagged higher costs tied to the Iran war as a driver of elevated near‑term expense. Ecolab forecasts second-quarter profit below estimates as Iran war pushes up costs Negative Sentiment: Reaction: shares slipped as investors focused on the mixed guidance and margin pressure despite the revenue beat—creating short‑term downside even with constructive demand trends. Ecolab slips after in-line Q1; Q2 earnings guidance mostly below consensus Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ECL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Ecolab from $300.00 to $337.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $315.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Berenberg Bank raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $326.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Ecolab from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Ecolab from $294.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $322.82.

Read Our Latest Research Report on ECL

Ecolab Stock Down 0.4% NYSE:ECL opened at $266.88 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $277.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $273.46. The company has a market capitalization of $75.37 billion, a PE ratio of 36.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Ecolab Inc. has a 1-year low of $240.92 and a 1-year high of $309.27.

Ecolab (NYSE:ECL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Ecolab had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 22.73%. The company had revenue of $4.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 EPS. Ecolab’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ecolab has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.430-8.630 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.120 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Ecolab Inc. will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ecolab Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.73 per share. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. Ecolab’s dividend payout ratio is 40.11%.

Ecolab Profile (Free Report)

Ecolab, Inc is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. The company develops and supplies cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, dispensing equipment, water-treatment systems, pest elimination services and related technologies designed to help businesses maintain clean, safe and efficient operations. Its offerings span both products and onsite services, often paired with technical support and training.

Ecolab serves a broad range of end markets including hospitality and foodservice, food and beverage processing, healthcare, manufacturing and industrial operations, and energy and utilities.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Ecolab

Receive News & Ratings for Ecolab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ecolab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINEComerica Bank Reduces Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

NEXT HEADLINE »First National Bank of Hutchinson Has $29.09 Million Position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF $IVV

-

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The board of directors of Ecolab Inc. today declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.73 per common share, to be paid July 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 16, 2026.

Ecolab has paid cash dividends on its common stock for 89 consecutive years.

About Ecolab

A trusted partner for millions of customers, Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life. For more than a century, Ecolab has advanced innovation by integrating science-based solutions, data driven insights, AI technology and world-class service. This unique combination enables Ecolab to partner with customers to define what best-in-class looks like and scale it across their operations, helping them achieve peak performance. Today, Ecolab delivers $16 billion in annual sales, employs 48,000 associates and serves customers in more than 170 countries and 40 industries. The company helps protect one-third of the world’s food production and a quarter of the power generated while delivering innovative solutions across food, hospitality, healthcare, data centers, microelectronics and life sciences. As the world’s water company, Ecolab plays an important role in AI growth by supporting the full water needs of advanced computing—from ultra pure water for chip manufacturing, to water solutions that support the power behind AI, to direct liquid cooling systems for high density computing that improves performance while reducing environmental impact through circular water use. In life sciences, Ecolab delivers end to end solutions that support the development and manufacturing of life-saving drugs, helping customers operate safely and consistently at scale while improving performance and reducing environmental impact. Through its comprehensive approach, Ecolab protects what’s vital, with a goal by 2030 to help protect 2 billion people from infections and conserve enough drinking water for 1 billion people, while continuing to enhance business performance.

Ecolab. Protecting What’s Vital.

www.ecolab.com

(ECL-D)

More News From Ecolab Inc.

Back to Newsroom

-

2025 Growth & Impact Report shows how Ecolab is built for growth in the AI era

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The world is entering a period of historic growth, complexity and opportunity. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and demand for energy, food and water accelerates, how companies grow next will matter as much as how fast they grow.

In a rapidly changing world, Ecolab remains constant. Today, the company released its 2025 Growth & Impact Report highlighting how Ecolab continues to deliver strong business performance while deepening its impact on customers and communities in the areas that matter most.

Technologies like AI promise extraordinary progress, but they cannot scale without mastering water.

“Water is the foundation of life and business. We cannot create more water, but we can reimagine how we use it,” said Christophe Beck, Chairman, President and CEO, Ecolab. “Companies that act decisively, apply proven solutions and work in partnership will lead the next era of growth.”

In 2025, Ecolab partnered with customers across more than 40 industries and 170 countries to deliver performance and growth while protecting vital resources around the world. Together, Ecolab helped customers:

Conserve the annual drinking water needs of more than 849 million people, equivalent to 245 billion gallons of water Safeguard 7.7 million people from pollution-induced illnesses by avoiding 4.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions Protect 1.7 billion people from foodborne illnesses and infections Realize $12.9 billion in cumulative valuei using Ecolab solutions and services That performance translated into real-world results, reinforcing how performance and impact fuel each other. While Ecolab’s greatest impact is delivered through its customers, the company applies the same discipline across its operations and communities:

High-performing teams: Delivered record sales, earnings per share, operating income margin and cash flows, fueled by a culture of safety, inclusion and performance. World-class operations: Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 44% from a 2018 base year, powered 92% of operations with renewable electricity and improved water use efficiency by 36%. Global water leadership: Advanced basin-level action as a co-founder of the United Nations Water Resilience Coalition, expanded Alliance for Water Stewardship certification to 16 Ecolab facilities and partnered with Water.org to expand global access to safe water and sanitation. Breakthrough digital innovation: Accelerated water, digital and AI solutions, including the Water Use Efficiency Index with CDP and Ecolab® Water Navigator IQ™. Positive community impact: Invested $24.2 million globally through the Ecolab Foundation to strengthen communities where Ecolab operates. Ecolab is built for this moment. By delivering strong performance while addressing the world’s most pressing resource challenges, the company is helping lead the next era of growth the right way. Explore Ecolab’s full 2025 Growth & Impact Report at: https://www.ecolab.com/corporate-responsibility/growth-and-impact-report.

About Ecolab

A trusted partner for millions of customers, Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life. For more than a century, Ecolab has advanced innovation by integrating science-based solutions, data-driven insights, AI technology and world-class service. This unique combination enables Ecolab to partner with customers to define what best-in-class looks like and scale it across their operations, helping them achieve peak performance. Today, Ecolab has $16 billion in annual sales, 48,000 associates and customers in more than 170 countries and 40 industries. The company helps protect one-third of the world’s food production and a quarter of the power generated while delivering innovative solutions across food, healthcare, data centers, microelectronics, life sciences and hospitality. Ecolab’s comprehensive approach protects what’s vital, aiming by 2030 to help protect 2 billion people from infections and enough drinking water for 1 billion people while enhancing business performance.

Ecolab. Protecting What’s Vital.

www.ecolab.com

(ECL-C)

i Cumulative value since 2019.

More News From Ecolab Inc.

Back to Newsroom

Key Takeaways Ecolab posted 4% organic sales growth in Q1 2026, driven by pricing and volume gains.ECL's Global High-Tech business grew more than 20% organically on semiconductor demand.Ecolab Digital topped $400M in annualized revenue with AI and automation-driven solutions. Ecolab Inc. (ECL - Free Report) has been gaining from its solid product portfolio. The optimism, led by a solid first-quarter 2026 performance and continued focus on research and development, is expected to contribute further. However, concerns regarding cost fluctuations persist.

This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock has lost 5.3% in the year-to-date period against the industry’s 7.7% growth. The S&P 500 Composite has increased 8.1% during the same time frame.

The renowned water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services provider has a market capitalization of $69.2 billion. It projects 14.3% growth for the next five years and expects to maintain a strong performance in the future. Ecolab’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met once, delivering an average surprise of 0.23%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Reasons Favoring Ecolab’s GrowthStrong Product Portfolio With a Focus on R&D: In first-quarter 2026, Ecolab’s organic sales rose 4%, driven by 3% pricing and 1% volume growth, reflecting the strong value proposition of its portfolio. Per management, the company continues to benefit from a robust innovation pipeline, with increasing focus on digitally enabled solutions that enhance customer productivity and sustainability.

Platforms like 3D TRASAR and other connected monitoring solutions are gaining traction by helping customers optimize water usage, energy consumption and operational efficiency. Management noted that these technology-driven offerings deliver measurable savings, strengthen long-term customer relationships and support premium pricing, reinforcing Ecolab’s competitive position across its end markets.

Ecolab’s Global High-Tech Business & Digital Platform: Per management, Ecolab’s Global High-Tech business remains a key long-term growth driver, supported by rising semiconductor manufacturing and data-center infrastructure investments worldwide. In first-quarter 2026, the segment delivered more than 20% organic sales growth, driven by new business wins across microelectronics and data centers. Management also noted that the Ovivo Electronics acquisition strengthens Ecolab’s ultrapure water capabilities for semiconductor fabs and, together with the pending CoolIT Systems acquisition, is expected to create a roughly $1.5 billion Global High-Tech platform.

Meanwhile, Ecolab Digital continues to scale as another important growth engine, with annualized revenues surpassing $400 million. Management highlighted that the platform leverages AI, predictive analytics, remote monitoring and automation to enhance customer productivity and sustainability outcomes, while addressing a $13 billion market opportunity, including nearly $3 billion within the existing customer base.

Strong Q1 Results: ECL exited the first quarter of 2026 with in-line earnings and better-than-expected revenues. The company registered a robust year-over-year uptick in its top and bottom lines, along with solid performances across all segments. The expansion of the adjusted operating margin bodes well for the stock.

Per management, Ecolab’s performance in the reported quarter was driven by strong value pricing, accelerated volume growth and improved productivity, demonstrating the strength of its technology- and service-led model. Its core businesses also delivered strong performance as Institutional and Specialty both improved, and Food & Beverage continued to significantly outperform market trends. These looked promising for the stock.

A Factor That May Offset ECL’s GainsCost Fluctuations: Ecolab faces risks from raw material cost volatility, inflationary pressures and supply-chain disruptions, which could weigh on margins and profitability. Management expects commodity costs to rise at a high single-digit rate beginning in second-quarter 2026, primarily driven by energy-related expenses.

The company remains exposed to fluctuations in raw material availability and pricing, as well as challenges in renewing supply agreements on favorable terms, which could adversely impact operating results, financial position and cash flows. Additionally, geopolitical tensions and broader economic slowdowns may disrupt global sourcing and supplier performance, limiting Ecolab’s ability to secure raw materials efficiently and at competitive prices.

Estimate TrendEcolab is witnessing a negative estimate revision trend for 2026. In the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its earnings has moved south by 11 cents to $8.47 per share.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $4.4 billion, indicating a 9.4% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported number.

Key PicksSome better-ranked stocks from the same medical industry are Pacific Biosciences of California (PACB - Free Report) , Globus Medical (GMED - Free Report) and Biodesix (BDSX - Free Report) .

Pacific Biosciences of California, currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted loss per share of 12 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 29.4%. Revenues of $37 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.3%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

PACB’s earnings are estimated to decline at a rate of 12.2% against the industry’s 16.9% growth in 2027. The company beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 29.76%.

Globus Medical, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present, reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.12, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 21.7%. Revenues of $760 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4%.

GMED has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 10.2% compared with the industry’s 12.6% rise. The company beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 26.26%.

Biodesix, currently carrying a Zacks Rank of 2, reported a first-quarter 2026 adjusted loss per share of 81 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 35.71%. Revenues of $26 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.3%.

BDSX has an estimated earnings growth rate of 36% for 2026 compared with the industry’s 13.4% rise. The company beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 25.56%.

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Ecolab (ECL - Free Report) . Shares have added about 2.3% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, 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 the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Ecolab Q1 Earnings In-Line, Revenues Up Y/Y, Gross Margin DownEcolab has reported fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $2.08, up 14.9% year over year. The bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.8%.

GAAP earnings per share for the quarter was $1.98, up 19.3% year over year.

Full-year adjusted earnings per share was $7.53, reflecting a 13.2% increase from the year-ago period. The metric topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny.

ECL’s Revenue Details

Revenues grossed $4.19 billion in the reported quarter, up 4.8% year over year. The metric topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.1%.

Ecolab’s organic sales were $4 billion, up 2.9% from the prior-year period.

Ecolab Digital sales increased 24% to $99 million, with double-digit growth across both software and enabling hardware subscriptions.

Full-year revenues were $16.08 billion, reflecting a 2.2% improvement from the year-ago period on a reported basis (up 3% on an organic basis). The metric lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.2%.

Ecolab’s Segmental Analysis

The Global Water segment’s fixed currency sales of $2.02 billion marked 2.5% year-over-year growth. Organic sales were $2 billion, up 2.2% year over year. The segment’s underlying sales grew mid-single digits, excluding Basic Industries and Paper. Light & Heavy’s progress was led by strength in Global High-Tech, improved growth in downstream and solid gains in manufacturing, which offset softer sales in Basic Industries. Robust new business gains in Food & Beverage, which leveraged the One Ecolab growth strategy, drove a further acceleration in sales growth. Lower Paper sales reflected new business wins that were offset by soft customer production rates.

The Global Institutional & Specialty arm’s fixed currency sales were $1.49 billion, a year-over-year uptick of 2.8% on a reported basis. Organic sales were also $1.49 billion, up 2.7% year over year. Institutional unit’s underlying performance reflected good growth with hospitality customers and modestly higher sales to hospitals. Specialty unit delivered continued strong sales growth, driven by robust new business wins and continued value pricing.

The Global Pest Elimination segment’s fixed currency sales of $307.2 million improved 6.7% year over year on a reported basis. Organic sales were $306.8 million, up 6.6% year over year. Strong organic sales growth was led by robust gains in food & beverage, restaurants and food retail, which continue to benefit from the One Ecolab growth strategy.

The Global Life Sciences arm’s fixed currency sales and organic sales were $191.4 million each, reflecting year-over-year growth of 6.5% on both a reported and organic basis. Per management, year-over-year fixed currency and organic sales growth was driven by continued double-digit growth in bioprocessing and strong growth in pharmaceutical & personal care despite ongoing capacity constraints within Life Sciences’ industrial water purification business.

ECL’s Q4 Margin Analysis

In the quarter under review, Ecolab’s gross profit improved 6.4% year over year to $1.85 billion. The gross margin expanded 69 basis points (bps) to 44%.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 1% year over year to $1.06 billion.

Adjusted operating profit totaled $786.6 million, increasing 14.6% from the prior-year quarter. The adjusted operating margin in the quarter expanded 162 bps to 18.7%.

Ecolab’s Financial Position

The company exited fourth-quarter 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $646.2 million compared with $1.96 billion at the end of the third quarter. Total debt at the end of fourth-quarter 2025 was $8.24 billion compared with $8.07 billion at third-quarter end.

Meanwhile, Ecolab has a consistent dividend-paying history, with five-year annualized dividend growth of 8.09%.

ECL’s Guidance for Q1 & 2026

Ecolab has provided its outlook for the first quarter and has initiated the full-year 2026 guidance.

The company expects adjusted earnings per share of $1.67-$1.73 for the first quarter, suggesting an 11%-15% rally from the year-ago period’s actual. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.69.

Including the acquisition of Ovivo Electronics, ECL expects reported sales to increase 7%-9% and organic sales to rise 3%-4% in 2026.

For 2026, Ecolab expects adjusted earnings per share of $8.43-$8.63 (indicating an uptick of 12%-15% from the comparable 2024 period’s reported number). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for adjusted earnings per share is pegged at $8.44.

Ecolab has reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.70, up 13.3% year over year. The metric was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

GAAP earnings per share for the quarter was $1.52, up 7.8% year over year.

ECL’s Revenue DetailsRevenues grossed $4.07 billion in the reported quarter, up 10% year over year. The metric topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.1%.

Ecolab’s organic sales were $3.96 billion, up 3.5% from the prior-year period.

Ecolab Digital sales increased 24% to $99 million, with double-digit growth across both software and enabling hardware subscriptions.

Ecolab’s Segmental AnalysisThe Global Water segment’s fixed currency sales of $2.04 billion marked 7.1% year-over-year growth, driven by a 5% benefit from the Ovivo Electronics acquisition and organic sales growth. Organic sales were $1.94 billion, up 2.1% year over year.

The segment’s performance was driven by more than 20% organic growth in Global High-Tech, reflecting robust growth across both microelectronics and data centers. Food & Beverage continued to grow mid-single digits, driven by attractive new business wins from the One Ecolab growth strategy. Light Water delivered steady performance, driven by solid gains in transportation. These, driven by good new business wins, stabilized the headwind from softer sales in Heavy Water and Paper.

The Global Institutional & Specialty arm’s fixed currency and organic sales were $1.51 billion, a year-over-year uptick of 3.6% both on a reported and organic basis. Institutional unit’s improved performance was driven by good growth with hospitality customers. Specialty unit’s sales grew high-single digits, with accelerated growth driven by robust new business wins and continued value pricing.

The Global Pest Elimination segment’s fixed currency sales of $310.1 million improved 7.9% year over year on a reported basis. This reflected strong organic growth and a 1% benefit from attractive, targeted acquisitions in North America. Organic sales were $308.5 million, up 7.3% year over year. Strong organic sales growth was led by robust gains in restaurants, food retail, food & beverage and healthcare, which continue to benefit from the One Ecolab growth strategy.

The Global Life Sciences arm’s fixed currency sales and organic sales were $200.9 million each, reflecting year-over-year growth of 10.7% on both a reported and organic basis. Per management, year-over-year fixed currency and organic sales growth was driven by bioprocessing, which more than doubled its sales during the quarter. This, along with robust growth in pharmaceutical & personal care, overcame temporary capacity constraints within Life Sciences’ industrial water purification business.

ECL’s Margin AnalysisIn the quarter under review, Ecolab’s gross profit improved 8.3% year over year to $1.77 billion. However, the gross margin contracted 69 basis points (bps) to 43.6%.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 4.9% year over year to $1.10 billion.

Adjusted operating profit totaled $668.4 million, increasing 14.3% from the prior-year quarter. The adjusted operating margin in the quarter expanded 61 bps to 16.4%.

Ecolab’s Financial PositionThe company exited first-quarter 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $519.8 million compared with $646.2 million at the end of fourth-quarter 2025. Total debt at the end of first-quarter 2026 was $8.49 billion compared with $8.24 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.

Meanwhile, Ecolab has a consistent dividend-paying history, with five-year annualized dividend growth of 8.75%.

ECL’s GuidanceEcolab has provided its outlook for the second quarter of 2026 and has revised the 2026 guidance.

The company expects adjusted earnings per share of $2.02 to $2.12 for the second quarter, suggesting an 7%-12% increase from the year-ago period’s actual. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $2.13.

Including the acquisition of Ovivo Electronics, ECL now expects reported sales to increase 9%-11% and organic sales to rise 6%-7% compared with the prior outlook of 7%-9% and 3%-4% uptick, respectively, in 2026.

For 2026, Ecolab continues to expect adjusted earnings per share of $8.43-$8.63 (indicating an uptick of 12%-15% from the comparable 2025 period’s reported number). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for adjusted earnings per share is pegged at $8.45.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Ecolab has a average Growth Score of C, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a B. However, the stock was allocated a score of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% 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 indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Ecolab has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Join Get Blue™, co-founded by Water.org's Matt Damon and Gary White, and partners Gap Inc., Starbucks, Amazon, and Ecolab to shop, share, and donate to help end the global water crisis.

Get Blue™ is partnering with iconic brands like Gap, Starbucks, Amazon, and Ecolab to turn everyday actions into a powerful force to Bring Water Home™ and help end the global water crisis. Water.org aims to bring safe water access to more than 200 million people by 2030 through its proven solution that helps local bank partners provide small loans to families. Get Blue makes it simple for anyone to participate through shopping for exclusive Get Blue product collaborations; engaging with creators, celebrities, and artists; and donating directly to Get Blue. , /PRNewswire/ -- Water.org, the global nonprofit working to bring safe water and sanitation to the world, is launching Get Blue™, a community created in partnership with Gap Inc., Starbucks, Amazon, and Ecolab to help Bring Water Home™. Get Blue is an open invitation to turn everyday actions like shopping, sharing, and donating into safe water for families who need it most.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/waterorg/9402051-en-waterorg-partnership-launch-get-blue-global-movement

Water.org co-founder Matt Damon shares how Get Blue™ works - how everyday actions help bring safe water home for families in need.

To ignite collective community action around the global water crisis, Water.org co-founder Matt Damon debuts rap alter-ego "The Nomad," dropping a track with GRAMMY®-winner Hit-Boy for Get Blue™.

$5 from every purchase from Gap’s Get Blue™ Collection will be donated to help end the global water crisis.

With every purchase of a Blue Coconut Refresher or Iced Blue Coconut Matcha, Starbucks will donate to Water.org to support clean water access.

Launching later this summer, when customers say 'Alexa, donate to Get Blue™,' stream music, or shop the Get Blue Storefront, Amazon will donate to Water.org to support safe water access.

As the official water management partner of Get Blue™, Ecolab, which helps 40+ industries use water more efficiently, will commit $1 million through the Ecolab Foundation. More than 2 billion people lack access to safe water — that's one in four people globally. For many families, water is out of reach resulting in hours of walking, high costs, or relying on unsafe sources — a daily reality that costs people their time, health, and futures. No one should have to wait, walk, or overpay for safe water. Get Blue is a collective effort to change this, helping scale Water.org's proven solutions to reach more people.

Get Blue makes it easy to act. When you shop Get Blue products or donate directly, you are helping support Water.org's local financial partners provide small, affordable loans so families can get the pipes, pumps, or plumbing they need at home. $5 helps one person, and $25 helps a family get lasting access to safe water or sanitation — it's impact that keeps on giving. In fact, when a loan is repaid (and 98% are), that money can help another family get a loan to bring safe water home. It's a pay-it-forward approach that helps families solve the problem themselves, and the more people Water.org reaches, the further each dollar goes.

"Water.org has changed the future for more than 90 million people, proving our solutions work at scale," says Gary White, CEO and co-founder of Water.org. "To bring water home for everyone, everywhere within our lifetimes, we have to scale even faster. That's why Water.org launched Get Blue — a community built on collaboration, bringing together industry leaders, creators, and people to take action. When brands join us, they invite their communities into this work. That is how progress happens — one person, one action at a time."

Get Blue is brought to life through its founding partners who have created products and experiences that make it simple for people to participate. Upcoming launches include:

Gap: The Get Blue Drop
Gap's limited-edition Get Blue Collection reimagines classic Gap icons like denim, tees, and sweats to help end the global water crisis. Gap brings years of experience reducing water use across its supply chain, having saved more than 6 billion liters of water since 2016.

Launching today, the assortment spans adults, kids, and toddler and will be available in select Gap stores and online at gap.com. With each purchase from the Get Blue Collection, Gap will donate $5 to Water.org, helping empower people in need with the resources to get safe water at home.

Starbucks: Blue Drinks for Big Impact
On June 16, Starbucks will launch two limited-edition drinks created exclusively to support Get Blue:

The Iced Blue Coconut Matcha: Tropical and creamy, this iced Matcha features sweet mango flavors and is topped with a vibrant Toasted Coconut Cold Foam blended with blue spirulina. The Blue Coconut Refresher: Toasted coconut, strawberry, and acai flavors are hand-shaken with ice and blue spirulina. This beverage is where vibrant flavor meets summer refreshment. From June 16 through July 7, Starbucks will donate $0.25 to Water.org for every purchase of the Iced Blue Coconut Matcha or a Blue Coconut Refresher, making it simple for customers to spark change with an everyday routine, like ordering a Starbucks beverage.

Starbucks has a long-standing commitment to expanding access to safe water in the communities it serves, including coffee, tea, and cocoa-growing regions. Through its partnership with Water.org and investment in WaterEquity — the impact-investing asset manager established by Water.org to mobilize capital for water and sanitation solutions — Starbucks has helped more than 700,000 people gain access to safe water or sanitation.

For more details visit here.

Amazon: Shop, Stream, Support
Starting this summer, Amazon will integrate Get Blue across its business to make it simple for customers to take action on the global water crisis — whether through their voice, their listening habits, or their everyday shopping. Highlights include:

Donate with Alexa+: Simply say "Alexa, donate to Get Blue" and Amazon will contribute $5 on their behalf, at no cost to the customer. It's an easy way to help connect someone to safe water access. Stream It Forward with Amazon Music: Every time a customer plays a participating artist's REDISCOVER playlist on Amazon Music, Amazon donates $1 to Water.org, turning everyday listening into safe water for communities in need. The Get Blue Storefront: A dedicated storefront on Amazon brings together exclusive Get Blue products — including curated selections from coalition partners — with a portion of every purchase supporting Water.org. Amazon is a long-time partner of Water.org, helping change the lives of 1.25 million people with access to safe water or sanitation. Amazon also made a catalytic donation to Water.org to help WaterEquity launch its Water & Climate Resilience Fund, an investment vehicle focused on climate resilient infrastructure in emerging markets.

Ecolab: Connecting Water Savings with Community Impact
Ecolab provides global water solutions and services for businesses across more than 40 industries, helping them use water more efficiently, improve operational performance, and protect local water supplies.

As the official water management partner of Get Blue, Ecolab will commit $1 million through the Ecolab Foundation, with $500K delivered immediately and $500K delivered upon helping its customers achieve 255 billion gallons of water savings through the use of its products this year.

Additional Brands Join the Get Blue Community
Support for Get Blue continues to grow with the following companies signing on as the newest Get Blue partners committed to helping solve the global water crisis.

AccuWeather: As the official weather partner for Get Blue, AccuWeather will feature a full campaign takeover on its app and network on June 9 to raise awareness and drive donations for Get Blue, and the company will continue to support donations online throughout the month of June. Ripple: As Get Blue's exclusive digital asset and payments partner, Ripple is providing vital seed funding that builds on its collaboration with Water.org. Through Ripple Payments and Ripple USD (RLUSD), Water.org can move funds faster and more cost-effectively to microfinance partners — supporting affordable loans for the water and sanitation solutions families need to survive and thrive. TikTok: This summer, TikTok will support Get Blue in a variety of ways to inspire its global community to learn about the water crisis and take action via creator storytelling and community engagement. Additional partners, product launches and activations will roll out in the coming months to help bring safe water home.

Recruiting the Music Community to Drive Action
To raise awareness of the water crisis and ignite collective community action around Get Blue, Water.org co-founder Matt Damon is using creativity and dynamic storytelling in service of the mission. Dropping today in a short video, Damon attempts a new career as a rapper — The Nomad (Damon spelled backwards) — who is determined to create music to educate and mobilize consumers for safe water access. In the video, Damon debuts his self-written rap and calls on friends Hit-Boy, a GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and producer, alongside Teddy Walton, a GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter, producer, and DJ, to collaborate with him to spread the Get Blue message far and wide. Producer Aaron Bow also collaborated with Walton on the creative effort.

"Music moves people in ways that few things can. It connects us, crosses borders, and makes us feel part of something bigger than ourselves. That's what Get Blue is built on," says Damon. "I won't stop looking for creative ways to draw attention, encourage participation and drive donations to help solve the global water crisis. Now, through the Get Blue community, there are easy ways to get involved whether you shop, donate directly, or share on social. I'm inviting my friends, colleagues, and anyone who cares about water access to join us and help Bring Water Home."

Mobilizing Creators and the TikTok Community to Join #GetBlue
Anyone can be part of the Get Blue community by joining #GetBlue on TikTok. To raise awareness of the more than 2 billion people who lack access to safe water at home, Get Blue supporters are encouraged to film themselves changing one thing blue — like wearing their favorite Get Blue product, painting their nails blue, or swapping to a blue reusable water bottle — then nominate friends and followers to do the same and pass it on using #GetBlue.

Donate to Get Blue
Direct donations to Get Blue will help power Water.org's smart solutions that break down the barriers between people living in poverty and access to safe water and sanitation.

Donate at GetBlue.water.org/donate.

"A direct donation at any level can help change the future for millions of people who need safe water. Every donation brings us one step closer to bringing safe water access home for all," says Damon.

To learn more about Get Blue visit GetBlue.water.org or follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

About Get Blue
Get Blue™ is a global movement mobilizing brands, creators, consumers, and capital to Bring Water Home™ and help solve the global water crisis. Co-created with founding partners including Gap Inc., Amazon, Starbucks, and Ecolab in partnership with Water.org, Get Blue brings the power of the collective organization's commerce to one of the world's most pressing challenges. Proceeds of specially branded Get Blue products will directly power Water.org's proven solutions to connect families to safe water and sanitation. Get Blue was created in collaboration with global brand consultancy Wolff Olins. Learn more at GetBlue.water.org.

About Water.org
Water.org is a global nonprofit organization that has transformed more than 90 million lives through access to safe water and sanitation. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org's solutions — WaterCredit, WaterEquity, and WaterConnect — offer distinct and complementary approaches that break down barriers between people and access to safe water. Collaboration is central to the strength of Water.org's approach. In 2026, a roster of world-renowned brands and Water.org partnered to launch Get Blue, a global movement harnessing culture and commerce to take action to solve the water crisis. Learn more at Water.org and GetBlue.water.org.

About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc., a purpose-driven house of iconic brands, is the largest specialty apparel company in America. Its Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta brands offer clothing, accessories, and lifestyle products for men, women and children available worldwide through company-operated and franchise stores, and e-commerce sites. Since 1969, Gap Inc. has created products and experiences that shape culture, while doing right by employees, communities and the planet through its commitment to bridge gaps to create a better world. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.

About Gap
Gap is a globally recognized icon of casual American style. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, Gap champions originality by creating loved essentials and delivering culturally-relevant experiences that celebrate individuality. Gap is an apparel and accessories brand that offers GapKids, babyGap, Gap Maternity, GapBody and GapFit collections as well as limited-edition collections with GapStudio and with partner brands through GapX. The brand also serves value-conscious customers with exclusively designed collections for Gap Outlet and Gap Factory Stores. Gap is the namesake brand of the global specialty retailer, Gap Inc. (NYSE: GAP) and connects with customers online and in company-operated and franchise retail locations globally. For more information, please visit gap.com.

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to responsibly sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with a global footprint of more than 41,000 company-operated and licensed coffeehouses and a growing presence in consumer-packaged goods, we are the world's premier purveyor of specialty coffee. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at about.starbucks.com or starbucks.com.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Ecolab
A trusted partner for millions of customers, Ecolab (NYSE:ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and the resources vital to life. For more than a century, Ecolab has advanced innovation by integrating science based solutions, data driven insights, AI technology and world class service. This unique combination enables Ecolab to partner with customers to define what best in class looks like and scale it across their operations, helping them achieve peak performance. Today, Ecolab has $16 billion in annual sales, 48,000 associates and customers in more than 170 countries and 40 industries. The company helps protect one third of the world's food production and a quarter of the power generated while delivering innovative solutions across food, healthcare, data centers, microelectronics, life sciences and hospitality. Ecolab's comprehensive approach protects what's vital, aiming by 2030 to help protect 2 billion people from infections and enough drinking water for 1 billion people while enhancing business performance. www.ecolab.com

About AccuWeather, Inc. and AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather, recognized and documented as the most accurate and most used source of weather forecasting and warnings in the world, has saved over 12,000 lives, prevented injury to over 100,000 people, minimized reputational harm, and saved companies tens of billions of dollars. A billion people around the world rely on AccuWeather's proven Superior Accuracy™ across our consumer digital platforms. AccuWeather.com is the #1 weather destination and one of the top 100 most-visited websites in the world, and our award-winning AccuWeather app delivers detailed real-time forecasts to millions of smartphones. AccuWeather forecasts also appear on digital signage, in 700 newspapers, are heard on over 400 radio stations, and viewed on 100 television stations. The AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW® reach an audience of over 125 million on cable and streaming platforms. AccuWeather For Business serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies and thousands of other businesses and government agencies globally who pay to subscribe to the best and most accurate weather forecasting service. Visit AccuWeather.com for the most accurate hyperlocal forecasts, weather news, and information, and download the free AccuWeather app for Android or iOS.

About Ripple
Founded in 2012, Ripple is the leading provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance. Its solutions span global payments, custody, liquidity, and treasury management, serving as a one-stop shop for moving, storing, exchanging, and managing value. Ripple's stablecoin, RLUSD, and the cryptocurrency XRP underpinning these solutions allow Ripple and its customers to shape the modern financial system.

About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for mobile video. With a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and its offices include New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Contact:
Cate McGeady
Senior PR Manager
978-495-2029
[email protected]

SOURCE Water.org

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Cintas (CTAS - Free Report) . Shares have added about 5.2% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Cintas due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Cintas' Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/YCintas reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of $1.24 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23 by 0.8%. The bottom line increased 8.8% from $1.13 in the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $2.84 billion surpassed the consensus estimate of $2.82 billion by 0.7% and rose 8.9% year over year.

The top line was driven by 8.2% organic revenue growth, reflecting solid demand across its route-based businesses. Record gross margins also stood out as a key highlight in the quarter.

Cintas’ Segmental ResultsThe company has two reportable segments, Uniform Rental and Facility Services and First Aid and Safety Services. Other businesses like Uniform Direct Sale and Fire Protection Services are included in All Other. Quarterly sales data is briefly discussed below.

Cintas’ Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment generated revenues of $2.18 billion, up 7.7% year over year from $2.02 billion. Segment operating income rose to $521.0 million from $489.5 million, reflecting steady demand and operating leverage.

The First Aid and Safety Services segment delivered revenues of $346.8 million, increasing 14.9% from $301.8 million in the prior-year quarter. Operating income climbed to $87.3 million from $71.5 million, supported by strong demand for safety and compliance solutions.

Revenues from the All Other segment totaled $317.2 million, up 10.8% from $286.3 million a year ago. Segment operating income increased to $51.5 million from $48.8 million.

Margin ProfileCintas’ cost of sales (comprising costs related to uniform rental and facility services and others) increased 8% year over year to $1.39 billion. Cintas reported gross profit of $1.45 billion, up 9.8% year over year. Gross margin improved 40 basis points to 51.0%, marking a record high.

Selling and administrative expenses totaled $788.6 million, up from $709.5 million a year ago, reflecting continued investments in the business. Despite this increase, operating income rose 8.2% to $659.9 million.

Operating margin was 23.2%, slightly down from 23.4% in the prior-year quarter due to a $15 million gain recorded last year from asset sales. Net income increased 8.4% to $502.5 million, with a tax rate of 20.6%.

Cintas’ Balance Sheet & Cash FlowExiting the first nine months of fiscal 2026, Cintas had cash and cash equivalents of $183.2 million compared with $264 million at the end of fiscal 2025. Long-term debt was about $2.43 billion compared with $2.42 billion at the end of fiscal 2025.

In the first nine months of fiscal 2026, it generated net cash of $1.57 billion from operating activities, up 2.7% from the year-ago period. Capital expenditures in the same period totaled $299.1 million, up 1.6% year over year.

The company repurchased shares worth $933.2 million compared with $678.1 million in the year-ago period. Dividend payments totaled $520.9 million, up 14.8% year over year.

Cintas Raises FY26 OutlookFollowing a strong third-quarter performance, Cintas raised its fiscal 2026 guidance. The company now expects revenues between $11.21 billion and $11.24 billion.

Adjusted earnings per share are projected in the range of $4.86-$4.90. The guidance excludes non-recurring costs associated with the pending UniFirst acquisition.

Management expects net interest expense of approximately $101 million and an effective tax rate of 20.0% for the year. The outlook assumes stable foreign exchange rates and excludes contributions from acquisitions.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates review.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Cintas has a average Growth Score of C, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with an A. However, the stock was allocated a score of F on the value side, putting it in the bottom 20% quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Cintas has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerCintas belongs to the Zacks Textile - Apparel industry. Another stock from the same industry, G-III Apparel Group (GIII - Free Report) , has gained 17.1% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended January 2026.

G-III Apparel reported revenues of $771.49 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -8.1%. EPS of $0.30 for the same period compares with $1.27 a year ago.

For the current quarter, G-III Apparel is expected to post a loss of $0.30 per share, indicating a change of -257.9% 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 #5 (Strong Sell) for G-III Apparel. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of A.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 29th, 2026

Comerica Bank lessened its holdings in shares of Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS – Free Report) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 73,287 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 5,873 shares during the period. Comerica Bank’s holdings in Cintas were worth $13,783,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cintas by 56.3% during the fourth quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,954 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $555,000 after purchasing an additional 1,064 shares during the last quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Cintas by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,496 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $292,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Camelot Portfolios LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cintas during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Retirement Solution LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cintas during the fourth quarter worth $308,000. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its holdings in shares of Cintas by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,002,205 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $376,647,000 after purchasing an additional 181,952 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 63.46% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Cintas news, Director Ronald W. Tysoe sold 4,666 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.87, for a total value of $834,607.42. Following the transaction, the director owned 22,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,015,273.76. This represents a 17.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 14.90% of the company’s stock.

Cintas Trading Up 0.1% NASDAQ:CTAS opened at $174.22 on Wednesday. Cintas Corporation has a 1-year low of $165.60 and a 1-year high of $229.24. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $184.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $187.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.21, a PEG ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 1.01.

Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 25th. The business services provider reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.24. Cintas had a return on equity of 41.47% and a net margin of 17.57%.The firm had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.13 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Cintas Corporation will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Cintas Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Cintas’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Argus upgraded Cintas to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings cut Cintas from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Cintas in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Cintas from $222.00 to $190.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Cintas from a “cautious” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $205.00 to $245.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $215.17.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cintas

Cintas Profile (Free Report)

Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) is a provider of business services and products focused on workplace appearance, safety and facility maintenance. The company is best known for its uniform rental and corporate apparel programs, which include rental, leasing and direct-purchase options, laundering and garment repair. Cintas markets its services to a wide range of end-users, including manufacturing, food service, healthcare, hospitality, retail and government customers.

Beyond uniforms, Cintas offers a suite of facility services and products designed to help organizations maintain clean, safe and compliant workplaces.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Cintas Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CTAS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Cintas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cintas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

« PREVIOUS HEADLINECertuity LLC Has $667,000 Stock Position in Texas Instruments Incorporated $TXN

NEXT HEADLINE »Cwm LLC Reduces Stock Position in Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. $ZBH

Investors interested in Textile - Apparel stocks are likely familiar with V.F. (VFC - Free Report) and Cintas (CTAS - Free Report) . But which of these two stocks offers value investors a better bang for their buck right now? We'll need to take a closer look.

There are plenty of strategies for discovering value stocks, but we have found that pairing a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system produces the best returns. The Zacks Rank is a proven strategy that targets companies with positive earnings estimate revision trends, while our Style Scores work to grade companies based on specific traits.

Currently, V.F. has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), while Cintas has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Investors should feel comfortable knowing that VFC likely has seen a stronger improvement to its earnings outlook than CTAS has recently. However, value investors will care about much more than just this.

Value investors are also interested in a number of tried-and-true valuation metrics that help show when a company is undervalued at its current share price levels.

Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years.

VFC currently has a forward P/E ratio of 15.40, while CTAS has a forward P/E of 33.83. We also note that VFC has a PEG ratio of 0.88. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. CTAS currently has a PEG ratio of 2.91.

Another notable valuation metric for VFC is its P/B ratio of 3.86. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. For comparison, CTAS has a P/B of 13.81.

Based on these metrics and many more, VFC holds a Value grade of B, while CTAS has a Value grade of F.

VFC is currently sporting an improving earnings outlook, which makes it stick out in our Zacks Rank model. And, based on the above valuation metrics, we feel that VFC is likely the superior value option right now.

-

NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”) are investigating the proposed sale of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) to Cintas Corporation (NasdaqGS: CTAS). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of UniFirst will receive $155.00 in cash and 0.7720 shares of Cintas stock for each share of UniFirst that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company.

If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-unf/ to learn more.

To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedIn

More News From Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Back to Newsroom

On May 28, 2026, we present a detailed DCF analysis for Cintas Corp CTAS . The company has experienced a challenging price performance, with a year-to-date decline of 9.2% and a significant drop of 24.1% over the past year.

DCF Earnings-based intrinsic value of $126.08 vs current price of $169.86 (margin of safety: -34.7%) DCF FCF-based intrinsic value of $137.63 vs current price (second opinion: fair valued with -23.4% margin of safety) GF Score™ of 94/100 indicates high reliability of the DCF inputs What Is CTAS Worth? DCF Earnings-Based Model The DCF earnings-based model utilizes a two-stage growth approach to estimate the intrinsic value of Cintas Corp. The first stage reflects a high growth period, while the second stage accounts for a more stable terminal growth rate. Below are the key assumptions used in the model:

Parameter Value Current EPS (TTM, excl. non-recurring) $4.74 10-Year Growth Rate 17.6% 10-Year Treasury Rate 4.49% Discount Rate (ceil(Treasury) + 6%) 11% Terminal Growth Rate 4% In the first stage (Years 1-10), the earnings per share (EPS) is projected to grow at 17.6% annually, discounted at a rate of 11%. The growth stage value is calculated to be $66.02 per share. In the second stage (Years 11-20), the growth rate slows to a terminal rate of 4%, also discounted at 11%, resulting in a terminal stage value of $60.06 per share. The summary of the calculation is as follows:

Stage Description Value Growth Stage (Years 1-10) EPS growing at 17.6%, discounted at 11% $66.02 Terminal Stage (Years 11-20) 4% terminal growth, discounted at 11% $60.06 Intrinsic Value Growth + Terminal $126.08 Comparing the current price of $169.86 to the intrinsic value of $126.09 indicates that Cintas Corp is modestly overvalued, with a margin of safety of -34.7%. It is important to note that GuruFocus uses EPS without non-recurring items, as research shows that stock prices correlate more closely with earnings than with free cash flow. For further calculations, you can visit the CTAS DCF Calculator.

What Does the Free Cash Flow DCF Say? The free cash flow (FCF)-based intrinsic value for Cintas Corp is calculated to be $137.63. When compared to the earnings-based intrinsic value of $126.08, the FCF model suggests a more favorable valuation, indicating that the stock is fair valued with a margin of safety of -23.4%. This divergence between the two models highlights the importance of considering multiple valuation perspectives.

How Does GF Value™ Compare to the DCF Models? The GF Value™ for Cintas Corp stands at $207.95, suggesting that the stock is 18.3% undervalued based on GuruFocus' proprietary measure. GF Value™ is calculated from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates. While the DCF earnings-based model indicates overvaluation, the FCF model suggests fair valuation, and GF Value™ presents a third perspective of undervaluation. This divergence among the models emphasizes the need for a comprehensive analysis. For more details, visit the GF Value™ page.

What Does CTAS's GF Score™ Tell Us? The GF Score™ ranks stocks from 0 to 100 based on five key aspects: Financial Strength, Profitability, Growth, Valuation, and Momentum. Stocks with higher GF Score™ values have been found to generate higher long-term returns (backtested from 2006 to 2021). Below is the breakdown of Cintas Corp's GF Score™:

Metric Rating GF Score™ 94/100 Financial Strength 7/10 Profitability 10/10 Growth 10/10 Valuation 8/10 Momentum 4/10 With a predictability rank of 3/5 stars, this indicates that the DCF model is reasonably reliable for Cintas Corp. For more information, visit the CTAS stock page.

Key Assumptions and Limitations It is essential to recognize that DCF models are highly sensitive to the assumptions made regarding growth rates and discount rates. Stocks with low predictability ratings tend to produce less reliable DCF estimates. The terminal growth rate of 4% used in this analysis is a simplifying assumption that may not accurately reflect future economic conditions.

What This Means for Investors In synthesizing the three valuation models—DCF earnings, DCF FCF, and GF Value™—the consensus indicates that Cintas Corp is currently overvalued based on the earnings-based DCF model, fair valued according to the FCF model, and undervalued from the GF Value™ perspective. Overall, this presents a mixed view, but the predominant signal is that the stock is overvalued.

For the full DCF analysis, visit the CTAS DCF Calculator. You can also explore the GF Value™ page, or use the GuruFocus Stock Screener to find undervalued predictable companies.

Frequently Asked Questions What is CTAS's intrinsic value based on DCF?

Answer: earnings-based $126.09, FCF-based $137.63

Is CTAS overvalued or undervalued?

Answer: The DCF earnings model suggests overvaluation, while GF Value™ indicates undervaluation.

How reliable is the DCF model for CTAS?

Answer: The predictability rank of 3/5 indicates a moderate level of reliability for the DCF model.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Cintas Corporation is a high-quality, wide-moat market leader in uniform and facility services, now trading at a fair valuation after a 24% drawdown. The planned UniFirst acquisition will boost CTAS's North American market share to ~50%, unlocking $375M in expected synergies over four years. CTAS continues to deliver exceptional margins (Q3 2026 gross margin: 51%), robust FCF, and strong capital returns, supporting 45 consecutive years of dividend growth.

If there’s one thing that’s undoubtedly true over the past decade, it’s that technology stocks have been blistering hot.

And it’s been for very understandable reasons. Many of these companies’ products have entirely changed the way the world behaves. People stay solely connected through digital channels such as social media, students are now taking their exams online, and consumers are even utilizing digital apps that allow for grocery delivery.

But while all that sounds fun and exciting, many have overlooked simple businesses that aren’t overly flashy. This includes companies that handle waste management, provide uniforms for staff, and even energy drink providers, to give a few examples.

Many of these companies fall into the Consumer Staples sector, whose businesses face steady demand across many economic conditions. In other words, people will want their trash picked up no matter the state of the economy, and we all obviously enjoy our caffeine buzz.

And perhaps to the surprise of some, these non-technology companies have seen wildly strong performance, with their lower beta nature providing nice shields against volatility.

Cintas Outperforms MicrosoftFor example, Cintas (CTAS - Free Report) , the company responsible for providing staffing uniforms and other relevant materials to employers, has gained nearly 100% over the last five years, which compares to a 80% gain from Magnificent Seven member Microsoft.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

While these investments are typically labeled as ‘boring,’ their stability is undeniable.

Simply put, you don’t have to buy tech stocks to see great returns. Lesser-discussed companies like Cintas have built consistent, dependable growth by doing the ‘simple’ things exceptionally well. Of course, they’re likely not to impress investors given their less-flashy nature, but sometimes boring is better.

Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS) has climbed 15 spots on the Fortune 500 list, ranking 412. This is the company’s ninth consecutive year on the list.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260603608117/en/

Cintas climbs 15 spots in the Fortune 500 rankings.

To qualify, Fortune Magazine considers U.S.-based companies that submit financial statements to a government agency. Companies are then ranked based on their total revenues for their respective fiscal years as of January 31, 2026.

In Cintas’ most recent fully disclosed fiscal year, FY25, the company recorded $10.34 billion in revenue, a 7.7 percent increase from its FY24 performance of $9.60 billion.

“Moving up on the Fortune 500 list is a meaningful indicator of the progress our employee-partners are driving every day,” said Todd Schneider, President and CEO of Cintas. “We see significant opportunity ahead and remain focused on delivering sustainable growth for our customers and shareholders.”

Cintas concluded its most recent fiscal year, FY26, on May 31, and will report on the full-year results in July 2026. In the first three quarters of disclosed FY26 earnings, Cintas reported revenues of $8.36 billion. This amount exceeded the equivalent FY25 revenues of $7.67 billion by 8.99%.

About Cintas Corporation

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, towels, restroom supplies, workplace water services, first aid and safety products, eye-wash stations, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260603608117/en/

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

Click for the complete disclosure

Key Takeaways Cameco Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA rose 44% to CAD 509M, led by uranium and Westinghouse.CCJ's uranium segment EBITDA climbed 48% to CAD 423M on higher volumes and prices despite 9% higher costs.Westinghouse contributed $122M in Q1 share; 2026 guidance calls for $370M-$430M in adjusted EBITDA share. Cameco Corporation’s (CCJ - Free Report) adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2026 rose 44% year over year to CAD 509 million ($372 million), primarily supported by stronger uranium segment performance and higher contributions from Westinghouse.

Within the core uranium segment, adjusted EBITDA was CAD423 million ($306 million), indicating a 48% increase year over year. This was attributed to higher volumes and prices, which helped offset a 9% increase in total cost of sales (including depreciation and amortization). Cameco’s share of Westinghouse’s adjusted EBITDA was $122 million compared with $92 million in the first quarter of 2025. 

These performances helped offset the 28% decline in the Fuel Services segment’s adjusted EBITDA in the quarter, which was pressured by lower average realized pricing during the quarter.

Over the past few years, Cameco has delivered a sharp expansion in profitability, with adjusted EBITDA rising more than fourfold from CAD 431 million in 2022 to CAD 1.93 billion in 2025. The uranium business has been Cameco’s primary driver, generating CAD 1.26 billion ($0.92 billion) in adjusted EBITDA in 2025, up 6% year over year. This was supported by higher average realized uranium prices in Canadian dollar terms, which offset lower sales volumes and higher total cost of sales.

The fuel services segment had posted robust growth in 2025, with adjusted EBITDA increasing 51% to CAD 219 million ($158 million). This was attributed to higher realized pricing and volumes, which offset the increase in total cost of products and services sold.

Westinghouse was another key contributor, with adjusted EBITDA increasing 61% to CAD 780 million. This reflects the increase in Cameco’s share of Westinghouse’s second-quarter revenues tied to the Dukovany construction project. Management expects continued momentum, with 2026 guidance indicating Cameco’s share of Westinghouse adjusted EBITDA between $370 million and $430 million.

Looking ahead, Cameco’s EBITDA growth is expected to be supported by its contracted volumes and expected increase in uranium prices, underpinned by tight global supply, long-term contracting discipline and rising nuclear energy demand as countries prioritize energy security and decarbonization. The fuel services business is expected to remain a stable contributor, supported by consistent conversion demand and improving pricing dynamics. Finally, Westinghouse represents a key growth lever, with exposure to global nuclear restarts and reactor construction pipelines providing long-term earnings visibility.

CCJ’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesIn the past year, Cameco shares have gained 73.2% compared with the industry’s 30.4% growth. Uranium peers Energy Fuels (UUUU - Free Report) and Centrus Energy (LEU - Free Report) have gained 231.1% and 40.3%, respectively. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CCJ stock is trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 18.01 compared with the industry’s 5.33. Energy Fuels is trading higher at 25.60 while Centrus Energy is trading lower at 7.42.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cameco’s earnings for fiscal 2026 of $1.32 indicates year-over-year growth of 28%. The same for 2027 implies growth of 59.2%. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The consensus estimate for Cameco’s earnings for 2026 has moved down over the past 60 days, while the same for 2027 has moved up, as shown in the chart below.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways CCJ resumed full production after securing a secondary route for critical supply deliveries.Cameco said 2026 production plans remain intact despite the flood-related interruption.CCJ expects 19.5-21.5 million pounds of attributable uranium production in 2026. Cameco Corporation (CCJ - Free Report) has overcome a major logistics challenge in northern Saskatchewan and reinforced confidence in its annual output targets. Earlier this month, severe flooding in the region caused a partial collapse of the Smoothstone River Bridge, a vital transportation link for delivering supplies to the McArthur River and Key Lake sites. While the sites were not directly affected by floodwaters, Cameco had halted operations due to the impacted delivery of critical operating materials.  

Cameco has now established a reliable flow of critical supplies through a secondary transportation route, enabling both operations to return to full production. The company remains in regular contact with Saskatchewan transportation authorities regarding restoration of the primary route. 
Management emphasized that its 2026 production plans have not been affected by the interruption but cautioned that continued thawing and precipitation events could result in further road restrictions as seen in every spring season. This could cause delays in future deliveries of critical operating materials to its sites.

This resumption of operation is particularly important given the strategic role of McArthur River and Key Lake within Cameco’s production portfolio. During the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings release, management projected uranium production of 14.0-16.5 million pounds from the McArthur River and Key Lake operations, with Cameco’s attributable share expected to total 10.0-11.5 million pounds. 

Cigar Lake is expected to contribute 9.5-10.0 million pounds attributable to Cameco. The company expects consolidated attributable uranium production of 19.5-21.5 million pounds in 2026.

The successful restart is encouraging as Cameco had faced operational challenges in 2025. Production at McArthur River and Key Lake declined 26% year over year to 20.3 million pounds in 2025 due to development delays in transitioning to new mining areas and an unplanned shutdown at the Key Lake mill.

How Have Cameco’s Peers Fared So Far in 2026? Energy Fuels (UUUU - Free Report) produced 790,000 pounds of finished uranium in the first quarter of 2026 and attained 1 million pounds in April. Energy Fuels expects uranium mining output to reach 2-2.5 million pounds in 2026 compared with the 1.6 million pounds of uranium produced in 2025. 
Energy Fuels expects to process 1.5-2.5 finished pounds of uranium this year.

Ur-Energy (URG - Free Report) is currently operating the Lost Creek project in south-central Wyoming, which has an annual capacity of 1.2 million pounds. Ur-Energy captured 110,314 pounds of uranium in the first quarter of 2026, a 48% year-over-year increase, reflecting improved flow rates following plant modifications and repairs. The company dried and packaged 95,599 pounds and shipped 103,956 pounds of uranium in the quarter. 

CCJ’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesCameco shares have gained 89.5% in a year compared with the industry’s 30.7% growth. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CCJ stock is trading at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 19.00 compared with the industry’s 5.33.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Cameco’s earnings for fiscal 2026 indicates year-over-year growth of 28.2%. The same for 2027 implies growth of 59.2%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

While the consensus estimate for 2026 earnings has moved down over the past 60 days, the same for 2027 has moved up, as shown in the chart below.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cameco (TSX: CCO; NYSE: CCJ) and Orano Canada Inc. (Orano) have reached agreement with TEPCO Resources Inc. (TEPCO) to acquire TEPCO’s 5% participating interest in the Cigar Lake Joint Venture. Upon closing, Cameco’s ownership stake in the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan will increase by 2.871 percentage points to 57.418%, while Orano’s share will rise by 2.129 percentage points to 42.582%.

“Cigar Lake is among the world’s best uranium mines, producing the highest-grade uranium ore from a safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation,” said Cameco’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Gitzel. “Increasing our ownership in this world-class, tier-one asset further demonstrates our commitment to our strategy, with scarce, licensed, permitted assets like Cigar Lake playing an essential role in fueling global ambitions to expand nuclear energy generation. Cigar Lake’s success wouldn’t be possible without supportive neighbouring Indigenous communities, which provide vital workforce and supply chain support through our mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Cameco’s purchase cost to acquire our respective share of TEPCO’s interest in Cigar Lake is approximately $115.75 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The acquisition is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other standard closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.

Cigar Lake’s reserve and resource base includes proven and probable reserves estimated at 172.4 million pounds of U3O8, measured and indicated resources of approximately 26.3 million pounds, and inferred resources of 20.0 million pounds (100% basis, as of December 31, 2025). Since the time it began production in 2014, Cigar Lake has produced approximately 174.5 million packaged pounds (100% basis, as of December 31, 2025).

Our 2026 production outlook for the Cigar Lake mine is between 17.5 million and 18 million pounds of uranium concentrate (U3O8) on a 100% basis. In 2026, we plan to continue production and development activities in the area currently being mined (CLMain), while continuing to advance the development work related to Cigar Lake extension (CLExt) that is required to extend the life of the mine to 2036. Planned capital projects related to CLExt include construction of a freeze pad, freeze distribution, and underground infrastructure, with capital investments at Cigar Lake remaining consistent and aligned with our disciplined contracting, operational and capital allocation strategy.

Cigar Lake proven and probable mineral reserves

PROVEN

PROBABLE

TOTAL MINERAL RESERVES

MINING

GRADE

CONTENT

GRADE

CONTENT

GRADE

CONTENT

METALLURGICAL

PROPERTY

METHOD

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

RECOVERY (%)

Cigar Lake

UG

263.7

17.06

99.2

215.3

15.43

73.2

479.0

16.33

172.4

98.9

Cigar Lake measured, indicated and inferred mineral resources

MEASURED RESOURCES (M)

INDICATED RESOURCES (I)

TOTAL M+I

INFERRED RESOURCES

GRADE

CONTENT

GRADE

CONTENT

CONTENT

GRADE

CONTENT

PROPERTY

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

(LB U3O8)

TONNES

% U3O8

(LB U3O8)

Cigar Lake

82.3

5.00

9.1

153.8

5.07

17.2

26.3

163.4

5.55

20.0

Please see pages 97 and 98 of Cameco’s 2025 annual information form for the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Cigar Lake mineral reserves and resources.

Qualified Persons

The technical and scientific information discussed in this document for Cigar Lake was approved by the following individuals who are qualified persons for the purposes of NI 43-101:

Kirk Lamont, general manager, Cigar Lake, Cameco Scott Bishop, director, technical services, Cameco Caution about Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes statements and information about our expectations for the future, which we refer to as forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on our current views, which can change significantly, and actual results and events may be significantly different from what we currently expect. Examples of forward-looking information in this news release include: our views regarding the grade of uranium ore produced from Cigar Lake; our views regarding the safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness of Cigar Lake operations; our views regarding Cigar Lake’s ability to support the global ambitions to increase nuclear energy generation; our expectations regarding closing adjustments to Cameco’s purchase price; whether regulatory approvals will be granted and closing conditions will be met within the expected timeframes; our expectations as to the closing date; the 2026 production outlook for Cigar Lake; the present estimate of proven and probable reserves and measured, indicated and inferred resources remaining at Cigar Lake; the continuation of production and development activities in CLMain; our plan to extend the mine life at Cigar Lake to 2036; our planned capital projects related to CLExt including construction of a freeze pad, freeze distribution, and underground infrastructure; and whether capital investments at Cigar Lake will remain consistent and aligned with our disciplined contracting, operational and capital allocation strategy. Material risks that could lead to different results include: failure to obtain regulatory approvals or meet closing conditions within the expected timeframes; unexpected changes in uranium supply, demand, long-term contracting and prices; the risk that we may not be able to implement our planned production and development activities in CLMain, our development work related to CLExt, or our planned capital projects related to CLExt; the risk that we may not be able to extend the life of mine to 2036; the risk that we may not be able to continue to align production decisions with market opportunities and our contract portfolio; the risk that the contracting, operational and capital allocation strategy we are pursuing may prove unsuccessful, or that we may not be able to execute it successfully; the risk of disruption to operations at Cigar Lake or the McClean Lake mill for technical, regulatory or labour reasons; and the risk of disruptions to power, communication services and road access due to floods or wildfires. In presenting the forward-looking information, we have made material assumptions which may prove incorrect about: timeframes to obtain regulatory approvals and meet closing conditions; uranium supply, demand, long-term contracting and prices; the market conditions and other factors upon which we have based our future plans and forecasts; the success of our plans and strategies, including CLExt and planned capital projects; the absence of new and adverse government regulations, policies or decisions; that there will not be any disruption to operations at Cigar Lake or the McClean Lake mill for technical, regulatory or labour reasons; and that there will not be disruptions to power, communication services and road access due to floods or wildfires. Please also review the discussion in our 2025 annual MD&A and most recent annual information form for other material risks that could cause actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations, and other material assumptions we have made. Forward-looking information is designed to help you understand management’s current views of our near-term and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. We will not necessarily update this information unless we are required to by securities laws.

Profile

Cameco is one of the largest global providers of the uranium fuel needed to power a secure energy future. Our competitive position is based on our controlling ownership of the world’s largest high-grade reserves and low-cost operations, as well as significant investments across the nuclear fuel cycle, including ownership interests in Westinghouse Electric Company and Global Laser Enrichment. Utilities around the world rely on Cameco to provide global nuclear fuel solutions for the generation of safe, reliable, carbon-free nuclear power. Our shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Our head office is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

As used in this news release, the terms we, us, our, the Company and Cameco mean Cameco Corporation and its subsidiaries unless otherwise indicated.

On June 02, 2026, Cameco Corp CCJ shares surged 7.0%, closing at $120.51. This increase comes amid a 52-week range where the stock has oscillated between $58.18 and $135.24, reflecting significant volatility and investor interest.

GF Value™ verdict: Current price is $120.51, compared to GF Value of $67.68, indicating the stock is 78.1% overvalued.GF Score™: 82/100, classified as Strong, suggesting solid fundamentals and potential for long-term returns.Most notable signal: CCJ has seen no insider transactions in the last 3 months, indicating a lack of insider confidence or a neutral stance from management. Is CCJ Overvalued or Undervalued? The current trading price of Cameco Corp CCJ at $120.51 stands significantly above its GF Value™ of $67.68, suggesting that the stock is overvalued by approximately 78.1%. This high valuation is a concern, as it may indicate that investors are paying a premium for the stock without sufficient justification based on intrinsic value metrics. The GF Valuation label categorizes CCJ as significantly overvalued, which raises the risk of a potential correction if the market adjusts to align with the company's intrinsic value.

A margin of safety is crucial for any investment, and with CCJ's current valuation far exceeding its estimated fair value, investors may need to exercise caution. While the stock's historical performance has been strong, with a year-to-date increase of 31.7% and a remarkable 107.5% rise over the past year, the high valuation presents a risk that could deter long-term investment.

GF Value™ is GuruFocus' proprietary measure of intrinsic value, calculated from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates.

How Does CCJ's Valuation Compare to Its History? Metric Current Historical P/E (TTM) 111.0x 111.9x Forward P/E 105.4x N/A Currently, CCJ is trading at a P/E (TTM) of 111.0x, which is slightly below its 5-year median P/E of 111.9x. The forward P/E of 105.4x suggests a slightly lower valuation expectation moving forward. This P/E analysis aligns with the GF Value™ verdict of overvaluation, supporting the notion that the stock is trading at a premium compared to its historical valuation metrics.

What Does CCJ's GF Score™ Tell Us? The GF Score™ ranks stocks based on five key aspects: Financial Strength, Profitability, Growth, Valuation, and Momentum. CCJ's scores are as follows:

Metric Rating GF Score™ 82 Financial Strength 8/10 Profitability 6/10 Growth 9/10 Valuation 3/10 Momentum 9/10 CCJ’s GF Score™ of 82 indicates strong fundamentals, particularly in areas of Financial Strength (8/10) and Growth (9/10). However, the Valuation rank of 3/10 highlights significant concerns regarding the high current price relative to its intrinsic value. The Momentum score of 9/10 suggests that the stock has been performing well in recent trading periods, which may be attracting more attention from investors despite the overvaluation risk.

What Are Insiders Doing with CCJ Stock? In the past three months, there have been no insider transactions reported for Cameco Corp CCJ . This lack of activity can imply several things: it may indicate that insiders are confident in the company's prospects and do not see the need to adjust their holdings, or it could suggest a neutral stance on the stock's future performance. The absence of buying or selling activity from insiders generally provides little guidance for potential investors regarding management's outlook on the stock.

What This Means for Investors Based on the GF Value™ assessment, Cameco Corp CCJ is currently overvalued. While the company shows strong growth potential and solid financial strength, the significant disparity between the stock price and its intrinsic value represents a risk for potential investors.

For the complete analysis, visit the Cameco Corp CCJ stock page. You can also explore the GF Value™ page for detailed valuation methodology, or use the GuruFocus Stock Screener to find similar opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions What is CCJ's GF Score™?

The GF Score™ for Cameco Corp CCJ is 82/100, indicating strong fundamentals and potential for long-term returns.

Is CCJ overvalued or undervalued?

Cameco Corp CCJ is currently overvalued, with a GF Value™ of $67.68 compared to its trading price of $120.51.

What is CCJ's P/E ratio?

The P/E (TTM) ratio for CCJ is 111.0x, which is slightly below its 5-year median P/E of 111.9x, indicating that the stock is trading close to its historical valuation.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

In the latest trading session, Cameco (CCJ - Free Report) closed at $103.44, marking a -9.28% move from the previous day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 2.65%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 1.35%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 4.18%.

Shares of the uranium producer witnessed a loss of 3.95% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Oils-Energy sector with its loss of 3.06%, and the S&P 500's gain of 5.47%.

The upcoming earnings release of Cameco will be of great interest to investors. On that day, Cameco is projected to report earnings of $0.36 per share, which would represent a year-over-year decline of 29.41%. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $534.36 million, showing a 15.69% drop compared to the year-ago quarter.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $1.31 per share and revenue of $2.39 billion, indicating changes of +27.18% and -4.07%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Cameco. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 9.92% increase. Right now, Cameco possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, Cameco is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 86.93. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 17.69.

We can also see that CCJ currently has a PEG ratio of 1.93. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. Alternative Energy - Other stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 2.25 based on yesterday's closing prices.

The Alternative Energy - Other industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 105, this industry ranks in the top 44% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

Key Takeaways U.S. consumer sentiment hit a record low amid inflation spikes and Middle East conflict concerns.ATO, ED, NWN, BGS and SFD show earnings estimate upgrades and low-beta defensive appeal.Global oil prices jumped over 30%, while inflation expectations climbed sharply in April. Americans are worried about the economy’s health as uncertainty over an end to the U.S.-Iran conflict and soaring inflation are dampening their sentiment. Consumer sentiment hit an all-time low in April as disruptions in shipping at the Strait of Hormuz saw prices of not only oil rise but also several other commodities surge over the past month.

Also, inflation rose in March to its highest level in nearly a year, dashing hopes of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve anytime soon. We, thus, recommend buying five defensive stocks from the utility and consumer staples sectors, namely, Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO - Free Report) , Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED - Free Report) , Northwest Natural Holding Company (NWN - Free Report) , B&G Foods, Inc. (BGS - Free Report) and Smithfield Foods, Inc. (SFD - Free Report) .

These stocks have seen positive earnings estimate revisions in the past 60 days, carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), and are set for solid returns. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Consumer Sentiment Plunges to Record LowThe University of Michigan reported that its Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to a final reading of 49.8 in April, plunging to an all-time low. Although the final reading was a slight improvement from the preliminary reading of 47.6, the economic outlook looks grim.

The marginal improvement came after the United States announced a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war. However, the ceasefire has looked fragile, and negotiations have failed, raising concerns over a peace deal anytime soon.

Global oil prices have surged more than 30% since the beginning of the Middle East conflict. Disruptions in ships passing the Strait of Hormuz have also seen a surge in prices of other key commodities, including fertilizers, petrochemicals, semiconductors and aluminum.

Also, the consumer expectations for inflation over the next 12-month period climbed to 4.7% in April from 3.8% in the prior month. Consumers’ long-term expectations for inflation jumped to 3.5% this month from 3.2% reported in March.

Inflation has been a recurring issue for both consumers and the Federal Reserve. The consumer price index (CPI) surged 0.9% sequentially in March from February’s jump of 2.4%, the Commerce Department reported last week. This takes the annual inflation rate to 3.3% and, the highest level since May 2024.

High inflation has posed a major challenge for the Federal Reserve, compelling it to keep interest rates unchanged this year. Investors now fear that there could be no rate cuts this year.

5 Low-Beta Defensive Stocks With Growth PotentialAtmos Energy CorporationAtmos Energy Corporation, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the regulated natural gas distribution and storage business. ATO serves nearly 3.3 million customers in more than 1,400 communities across eight states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy operates more than 73,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines as well as 5,700 miles of interstate pipelines.

Atmos Energy has an expected earnings growth rate of 11% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 60 days. ATO currently has a Zacks Rank of 2, a beta of 0.69 and a current dividend yield of 2.16%.

Consolidated EdisonConsolidated Edison, Inc. is a diversified utility holding company with subsidiaries engaged in both regulated and unregulated businesses. ED’s regulated businesses operate through its subsidiaries — Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Inc., and Con Edison Transmission, Inc.

Consolidated Edison has an expected earnings growth rate of 6.5% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 60 days. ED presently has a Zacks Rank #2. Consolidated Edison has a beta of 0.34 and a current dividend yield of 3.26%.

Northwest Natural Holding CompanyNorthwest Natural Holding Company builds and maintains natural gas distribution systems, as well as invests in natural gas pipeline projects through its subsidiaries. NWN serves residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States, Canada and the Service Territory.

Northwest Natural Holding Company has an expected earnings growth rate of 4.1% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 60 days. Zacks Rank 2 NWN has a beta of 0.50 and a current dividend yield of 3.69%.

B&G FoodsB&G Foods, Inc. boasts of a diversified portfolio of more than 45 brands, including B&G, B&M, Cream of Wheat, Las Palmas, Mama Mary's, Maple Grove Farms, Mrs. Dash, New York Style, Ortega, Pirate's Booty, Polaner, SnackWell's, Spice Islands and Victoria. Many of these brands hold leading market shares in different regions. BGS frequently engages in acquisitions and innovations to further strengthen its portfolio.

B&G Foods has an expected earnings growth rate of 5.9% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 8% over the last 60 days. Zacks Rank 2 B&G Food has a beta of 0.46 and a current dividend yield of 14.21%.

Smithfield FoodsSmithfield Foods, Inc. is a pork producer and food-processing company. SFD is based in Smithfield, VA.

Smithfield Foods has an expected earnings growth rate of 7.5% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 11.8% over the last 60 days. Currently, Smithfield Foods carries a Zacks Rank 1. It has a dividend yield of 4.26%.

Consolidated Edison (ED - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 7, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis utility is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.32 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +3.1%.

Revenues are expected to be $4.95 billion, up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 4.51% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Con Ed?For Con Ed, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.82%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Con Ed will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Con Ed would post earnings of $0.84 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.89, delivering a surprise of +5.95%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Con Ed doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAmong the stocks in the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, Exelon (EXC - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $0.89 per share for the quarter ended March 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -3.3%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $6.91 billion, up 2.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Exelon has been revised 9.8% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -0.19%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.

When combined with a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold), this Earnings ESP makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Exelon will beat the consensus EPS estimate. The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison) (NYSE: ED) today reported 2026 first quarter net income for common stock of $924 million or $2.55 a share compared with $791 million or $2.26 a share in the 2025 first quarter. Adjusted earnings (non-GAAP) were $790 million or $2.18 a share in the 2026 period compared with $792 million or $2.26 a share in the 2025 period. Adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share in the 2026 period exclude transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con Edison's equity investments in Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP) and Honeoye Storage Corporation (Honeoye) and the gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP. Adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share in the 2026 and 2025 periods exclude accretion of the basis difference of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP. Adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share in the 2025 period exclude the effects of hypothetical liquidation at book value (HLBV) accounting for tax equity investments.

"Our first-quarter results reflect the strength and durability of our regulated businesses, with reaffirmed adjusted earnings per share guidance driven by continued operational excellence and industry-leading reliability," said Tim Cawley, Chairman and CEO of Con Edison. "We deliver essential energy services to the nation's largest and most economically significant market, and the performance of our system underscores the value of disciplined investment.

"Electrification of heating and transportation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, driven by years of state and local policy that have been reinforced by strong customer preference and sustained economic growth in our region," Cawley added. "We are investing proactively to meet this growth - building new substations, maintaining robust design standards in our networks and fortifying our system against extreme weather - while managing costs and supporting affordability. Our dedicated team, technical expertise, operational efficiency, and investment strategy continue to drive long-term value for our investors, customers and communities."

"As our customers adopt cleaner energy technologies, we remain focused in 2026 on delivering value for customers and shareholders through disciplined execution of our three-year investment plan at Con Edison of New York," said Kirk Andrews, Senior Vice President and CFO. "We are making infrastructure investments across both utilities to ensure our system remains resilient and reliable as demand grows, while we continue to manage costs and deliver projects on budget.

"Based on our results for the quarter and outlook for the remainder of the year we are reaffirming our Adjusted EPS guidance range for 2026," Andrews added. "During the first quarter, we settled a forward sale agreement for 7 million shares of common stock, generating proceeds to support investment in our energy systems. We also completed the sale of our interest in Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC for total consideration of $357.5 million."

For the year of 2026, Con Edison reaffirmed its adjusted earnings per share (non-GAAP) to be in the range of $6.00 to $6.20 per share. Adjusted earnings per share excludes the gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP ($(0.37) a share after-tax), accretion of the basis difference of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP ($(0.01) a share after-tax), transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con Edison's equity investments in MVP and Honeoye and HLBV accounting for tax equity investments, the amount of which will not be determinable until year-end. Accordingly, the company is unable to provide equivalent measures determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP).

CON EDISON REPORTS 2026 FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS
See Attachment A to this press release for a reconciliation of Con Edison's reported earnings per share to adjusted earnings per share and reported net income for common stock to adjusted earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. See Attachment B for the estimated effect of major factors resulting in variations in earnings per share and net income for common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the 2025 period.

The company's 2026 First Quarter Form 10-Q is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A first quarter 2026 earnings release presentation will be available at www.conedison.com. (Select "For Investors" and then select "Press Releases.")

CON EDISON REPORTS 2026 FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are intended to qualify for the safe-harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations and not facts. Words such as "forecasts," "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "plans," "will," "target," "guidance," "potential," "goal," "consider" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect information available and assumptions at the time the statements are made, and accordingly speak only as of that time.

Actual results or developments might differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements because of various factors such as those identified in reports Con Edison has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including that Con Edison's subsidiaries are extensively regulated and may be subject to substantial penalties; its utility subsidiaries' rate plans may not provide a reasonable return; it may be adversely affected by changes to the utility subsidiaries' rate plans; the failure of, or damage to, its subsidiaries' facilities could adversely affect it; a cyber attack could adversely affect it; artificial intelligence is an emerging area of technology that has the potential to impact various aspects of its and its subsidiaries' business operations and customer interactions; the failure of processes and systems, the failure to retain and attract employees and contractors, and their negative performance could adversely affect it; it is exposed to risks from the environmental consequences of its subsidiaries' operations, including increased costs related to climate change; its ability to pay dividends or interest depends on dividends from its subsidiaries; changes to tax laws could adversely affect it; it requires access to capital markets to satisfy funding requirements; a disruption in the wholesale energy markets, increased commodity costs or failure by an energy supplier or customer could adversely affect it; it faces risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks; its strategies may not be effective to address changes in the external business environment; it faces risks related to supply chain disruptions, inflation and the imposition of tariffs (or subsequent changes to tariffs once announced or implemented); and it also faces other risks that are beyond its control. This list of factors is not all-inclusive because it is not possible to predict all factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ from the forward-looking statements. Con Edison assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

This press release also contains financial measures, adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share, that are not determined in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to net income for common stock or net income per share, respectively, each of which is an indicator of financial performance determined in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share exclude from net income for common stock and net income per share, respectively, certain items that Con Edison does not consider indicative of its ongoing financial performance such as the effects of HLBV accounting for tax equity investments and accretion of the basis difference of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP, transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con Edison's equity investments in MVP and Honeoye and the gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to facilitate the analysis of Con Edison's financial performance as compared to its internal budgets and previous financial results and to communicate to investors and others Con Edison's expectations regarding its future earnings and dividends on its common stock. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful and meaningful to investors to facilitate their analysis of Con Edison's financial performance.

CON EDISON REPORTS 2026 FIRST QUARTER EARNINGS
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is a holding company that provides a wide range of energy-related products and services to its customers through the following subsidiaries: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (CECONY), a regulated utility providing electric service in New York City and New York's Westchester County, gas service in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens and parts of Westchester, and steam service in Manhattan; Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R), a regulated utility serving customers in a 1,300-square-mile area in southeastern New York State and northern New Jersey; and Con Edison Transmission, Inc., a regulated company primarily under the oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, that develops and invests in electric transmission projects and owns interests in both electric and gas assets.

Attachment A

For the Three Months Ended

March 31,

Earnings

per Share

Net Income for
Common Stock

(Millions of Dollars)

2026

2025

2026

2025

Reported earnings per share (basic) and net income for common stock (GAAP basis)               

$2.55

$2.26

$924

$791

Accretion of the basis difference of Con Edison's equity investment in
MVP (pre-tax)

(0.01)

(0.01)

(3)

(3)

Income taxes (a)

—

—

1

1

Accretion of the basis difference of Con Edison's equity investment in MVP
(net of tax)

(0.01)

(0.01)

(2)

(2)

Transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of
Con Edison's equity investments in MVP and Honeoye (pre-tax)

0.01

—

3

—

Income taxes (b)

—

—

(1)

—

Transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con
Edison's equity investments in MVP and Honeoye (net of tax)

0.01

—

2

—

Gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP (pre-tax)

(0.52)

—

(189)

—

Income taxes (c)

0.15

—

55

—

Gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP (net of tax)

(0.37)

—

(134)

—

HLBV effects (pre-tax)

—

0.01

—

4

Income taxes (d)

—

—

—

(1)

HLBV effects (net of tax)

—

0.01

—

3

Adjusted earnings per share and adjusted earnings (non-GAAP basis)

$2.18

$2.26

$790

$792

(a) 

The amount of income taxes was calculated using a combined federal and state income tax rate of 25% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 21% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

(b) 

The amount of income taxes was calculated using a combined federal and state income tax rate of 26% for the three months ended March 31, 2026.

(c) 

The amount of income taxes was calculated using a combined federal and state income tax rate of 29% for the three months ended March 31, 2026.

(d) 

The amount of income taxes was calculated using a combined federal and state income tax rate of 23% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

Attachment B

Variation for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 vs. 2025

Net Income for
Common Stock
(Net of Tax) 
(Millions of
Dollars)

Earnings

per Share

CECONY (a)

Higher electric rate base

$15

$0.04

Higher gas rate base

14

0.04

Higher income from allowance for funds used during construction

2

0.01

Higher electric, gas and steam operations and maintenance expense

(28)

(0.08)

Higher interest expense on long-term debt

(9)

(0.03)

Higher corporate expenses

(5)

(0.01)

Dilutive effect of issuance of common shares

—

(0.08)

Other

(1)

—

Total CECONY

(12)

(0.11)

O&R (a)

Electric base rate increase

5

0.01

Gas base rate increase

3

0.01

Higher interest expense on long-term debt

(3)

(0.01)

Other

2

—

Total O&R

7

0.01

Con Edison Transmission

Gain on the sale of Con Edison's equity interest in MVP

134

0.37

Transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con Edison's equity                               
investments in MVP and Honeoye

(2)

(0.01)

Other

1

0.01

Total Con Edison Transmission

133

0.37

Other, including parent company expenses (b)

HLBV effects

3

0.01

Other

2

0.01

Total Other, including parent company expenses

5

0.02

Total Reported (GAAP basis)

$133

$0.29

Gain on the sale of Con Edison's interest in MVP

(134)

(0.37)

HLBV effects

(3)

(0.01)

Transaction costs associated with the strategic alternatives review of Con Edison's equity
investments in MVP and Honeoye

2

0.01

Total Adjusted (Non-GAAP basis)

$(2)

$(0.08)

(a) 

Under the revenue decoupling mechanisms in the Utilities' New York electric and gas rate plans, revenues are generally not affected by changes in delivery volumes from levels assumed when rates were approved. The Utilities' gas and CECONY's steam sales are subject to a weather normalization clause, as a result of which, delivery revenues reflect normal weather conditions during the heating season. In general, the Utilities recover on a current basis the fuel, gas purchased for resale and purchased power costs they incur in supplying energy to their full-service customers. Accordingly, such costs do not generally affect Con Edison's results of operations.

(b) 

Other includes the parent company, Con Edison's tax equity investments, consolidation adjustments and Broken Bow II, the deferred project that was classified as held for sale at December 31, 2024, the sale and transfer of which was completed in January 2025.

SOURCE Consolidated Edison, Inc.

Consolidated Edison (ED - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.17 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.32 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.25 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -6.63%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this utility would post earnings of $0.84 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.89, delivering a surprise of +5.95%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Con Ed, which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, posted revenues of $5.1 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.98%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $4.8 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Con Ed shares have added about 7.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 7.6%.

What's Next for Con Ed?While Con Ed has performed in line with the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Con Ed was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.75 on $3.73 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.07 on $17.34 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Utility - Electric Power is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, AES (AES - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 13.

This power company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +85.2%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

AES's revenues are expected to be $3.1 billion, up 6% from the year-ago quarter.

Key Takeaways ED Q1 adjusted EPS missed estimates, while revenues rose 6.2% year over year to $5.1 billion.Consolidated Edison completed the sale of its 6.6% stake in MVP for $357.5 million.ED reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.00-$6.20 and plans $38B in investments. Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $2.17 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.32 by 6.6%. The bottom line declined 3.6% from $2.25 recorded in the prior-year quarter.

The company reported GAAP earnings of $2.55 per share, up from $2.26 recorded in the year-ago quarter.

ED’s Total RevenuesIn the reported quarter, Consolidated Edison's total operating revenues of $5.1 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.95 billion by 3%. The top line increased 6.2% from $4.8 billion reported in the year-ago quarter.

ED’s Segmental Details Electric revenues totaled $3.04 billion, which increased 4.8% from the year-ago quarter’s figure of $2.9 billion.

Gas revenues amounted to $1.62 billion, which surged 5.2% from the year-ago quarter’s figure of $1.54 billion.

Steam revenues totaled $432 million, which rose 22% from the year-ago quarter’s figure of $354 million.

Non-utility revenues amounted to $1 million compared to nil revenues in the year-ago quarter.

ED: Highlights of the ReleaseTotal operating expenses in the first quarter increased 6.8% year over year to $3.92 billion.

Purchase power costs rose 4.9%. Other operations and maintenance expenses decreased 1.3%. Depreciation and amortization expenses jumped 1.4%. Taxes, other than income taxes, went up 9.3% year over year. Fuel expenses surged 48.8% year over year and the cost of gas purchased for resale rose 17.7%.

The company’s first-quarter operating income went up 4.6% year over year to $1.18 billion.
During the first quarter, the company completed the sale of its nearly 6.6% interest in Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (“MVP”) to the two founding members of MVP for total aggregate consideration of $357.5 million, before certain closing adjustments and expenses.

ED’s FinancialsCash and temporary cash investments as of March 31, 2026, totaled $0.15 billion compared with $1.63 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.

The company’s long-term debt was $25.554 billion as of March 31, 2026, compared with $25.551 billion as of 2025-end.

Cash from operating activities in the first three months of 2026 amounted to $128 million compared with $763 million in the prior-year period.

ED’s 2026 GuidanceConsolidated Edison has reaffirmed its 2026 guidance. It expects adjusted earnings to be in the range of $6.00-$6.20 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is pegged at $6.07 per share, which is lower than the midpoint of the company’s guided range.

The company expects capital investments of $38 billion during the 2026-2030 period.

ED’s Zacks RankConsolidated Edison currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Recent Utility ReleasesDuke Energy Corporation's (DUK - Free Report) first-quarter 2026 earnings of $1.93 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.79 by 7.6%. The bottom line increased 9.7% from $1.76 reported in the year-ago quarter.

DUK’s total operating revenues were $9.18 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.4 billion by 9%. The top line increased 11.3% from $8.25 billion in the year-ago period.

CMS Energy Corporation (CMS - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings of $1.13 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.11 by 1.8%. The bottom line also increased 10.8% from $1.02 in the prior-year quarter.

CMS’ operating revenues totaled $2.73 billion, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53 billion by 8.1%. The top line also increased 11.6% from $2.45 billion in the prior-year quarter.

Edison International (EIX - Free Report) posted quarterly earnings of $1.42 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32 by 7.6%. The bottom line also increased 3.7% from $1.37 in the year-ago quarter.

Edison International's first-quarter operating revenues totaled $4.1 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.99 billion by 2.8%. The top line increased 7.6% from the year-ago quarter’s figure of $3.81 billion.