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Ecolab Inc (ECL) Q2 2019 Earnings Call Transcript
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In This Article:

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Ecolab Inc (NYSE: ECL)
Q2 2019 Earnings Call
Jul 30, 2019, 1:00 p.m. ET

Contents:

  • Prepared Remarks

  • Questions and Answers

  • Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Greetings and welcome to Ecolab's Second Quarter 2019 Earnings Release. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host Mike Monahan, Senior Vice President, External Relations. Mr. Monahan. You may now begin.

Mike Monahan -- , Senior Vice President, External Relations

Thank you. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Ecolab's second quarter conference call. With me today is Doug Baker, Ecolab's Chairman and CEO, and Dan Schmechel, our CFO. A discussion of our results, along with our earnings release and the slides referencing the quarter's results and our outlook are available on Ecolab's website at ecolab.com/investor. Please take a moment to read the cautionary statements in these materials stating that this teleconference and the associated supplemental materials include estimates of future performance.

These are forward-looking statements and actual results could differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause actual results to differ are discussed under Risk Factors section in our most recent Form 10-K and in our posted materials. We also refer you to the supplemental diluted earnings per share information in the release.

Starting with a brief overview of the results, continued good sales growth and strong margin expansion drove Ecolab's double-digit earnings-per-share growth in the second quarter. Pricing, new business gains and product innovation led the sales and operating income growth, which along with cost efficiency actions yielded the second quarter's, 12% adjusted diluted earnings per share increase.

Moving to some highlights from the quarter. And as discussed in our press release, acquisition adjusted fixed currency sales increased 4% as the Industrial and Other segments both showed strong sales gains. We realized improved growth from the Institutional segment and the modest gain from energy. Adjusted fixed currency operating income margins increased a 120 basis points, continue the good acceleration shown throughout 2018 and into 2019.

Growth was led by double-digit gains in the Industrial and Other segments. Adjusted earnings per share increased 12% to $1.42 representing another quarter of double-digit adjusted EPS growth. Currency translation was an unfavorable nickel per share in the quarter.