New York, Oct. 27 - Ecolab Inc, a provider of cleaning and food safety products and services, reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit Tuesday, helped by cost-cuts and demand for sanitizer due to swine flu concerns.
Earnings rose 15 percent to $145 million, or 50 cents per share, compared with $126.2 million, or 50 cents per share a year earlier.
Excluding items, Ecolab earned 61 cents a share, 1 cent ahead of average analyst forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
"Steady demand from our food and beverage, food retail and healthcare markets, as well as increased sanitizer demand due to H1N1, has balanced soft trends in lodging and foodservice," Chief Executive Douglas Baker said in a statement.
Sales fell 5 percent to $1.55 billion, about matching forecasts.