Ecolab's Pricing Actions Seen Offsetting Commodity Inflation, Driving H2 Growth, RBC Says

Ecolab (ECL) is positioned for stronger growth in the second half of 2026 as pricing surcharges more than offset commodity inflation, while the recently completed CoolIT acquisition strengthens its exposure to AI infrastructure, RBC Capital Markets said in a Monday note. RBC expects Ecolab's organic sales growth to accelerate to 6% to 7% in the second half, driven by pricing actions, with underlying EPS growth of 14% to 15%, excluding the impact of the CoolIT acquisition.., the CoolIT acquisition strengthens Ecolab's high-tech business, positioning it to benefit from AI data center demand, with the segment growing more than 20% annually and expected to contribute over two percentage points to revenue growth. RBC expects Ecolab to deliver 5% to 7% organic sales growth in 2027, supported by pricing carryover and contributions from the CoolIT and Ovivo acquisitions, with pricing and productivity initiatives driving further margin expansion. RBC maintained its outperform rating on the stock with a price target of $337.