Operating Cash Flow
Ecolab Operating Cash Flow decreased by 59.1% to $445.90M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 20.7%, from $369.40M to $445.90M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows an upward trend with a 9.4% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
Consistently high operating cash flow indicates a healthy, self-sustaining business capable of funding its own growth and returning capital to shareholders.
Detailed definition
Net cash from operating activities measures the total amount of cash generated by a company's core business operations....
Peer comparison
Investors often compare this to capital expenditures to calculate Free Cash Flow, a primary valuation metric for mature tech giants.
net_cash_from_operatingHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $503.00M | $622.70M | $640.90M | $170.10M | $322.40M | $436.70M | $859.20M | $198.20M | $573.40M | $787.70M | $852.50M | $649.40M | $611.10M | $786.70M | $766.70M | $369.40M | $701.80M | $791.30M | $1.09B | $445.90M |
| QoQ Change | — | +23.8% | +2.9% | -73.5% | +89.5% | +35.5% | +96.7% | -76.9% | +189.3% | +37.4% | +8.2% | -23.8% | -5.9% | +28.7% | -2.5% | -51.8% | +90.0% | +12.8% | +37.8% | -59.1% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -35.9% | -29.9% | +34.1% | +16.5% | +77.9% | +80.4% | -0.8% | +227.6% | +6.6% | -0.1% | -10.1% | -43.1% | +14.8% | +0.6% | +42.2% | +20.7% |
Operating Cash Flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ecolab's operating cash flow?
- Ecolab (ECL) reported operating cash flow of $445.90M in Q1 2026.
- How has Ecolab's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
- Ecolab's operating cash flow increased by 20.7% year-over-year, from $369.40M to $445.90M.
- What is the long-term trend for Ecolab's operating cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Ecolab's operating cash flow has grown at a 9.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $2.06B to $2.95B.
- What does operating cash flow mean?
- The actual amount of cash a company brings in from its day-to-day business activities.