Ecolab Inc. has reported first-quarter net sales of US$3.75 billion, an increase of 5% from $3.57 billion a year ago. Ecolab’s first-quarter operating income increased to $517 million, up 47% from $351 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Sales in the company’s global institutional and specialty division climbed 12% to $1.27 billion, while its ...

3M has reported fiscal-first-quarter sales of US$8 billion, a 0.3% dip in sales from one year ago. Sales in the company’s health care division increased 0.3% to $2.01 billion and its consumer division saw a 3.9% decrease in sales to $1.14 billion. 3M’s safety and industrial division reported sales of $2.73 billion, a decline of 1.7%, ...

Newell Brands, parent company of Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP), has reported first-quarter net sales of US$1.7 billion, a decline of 8.4% from the same quarter last year. Newell’s operating income was $16 million compared with operating loss of $36 million in the prior year period. The company’s home commercial solutions division posted net sales of $893 million, a decline of 8% from $971 million in ...

Colgate-Palmolive Co. has reported first-quarter net sales of US$5.1 billion, an increase of 8.5% year-over-year. Colgate-Palmolive reported a first-quarter operating profit of $1.04 billion, or $0.83 per share, up 15% from the same period last year. In North America, Colgate-Palmolive’s net sales rose 4% while its European division posted an increase of 9.5%. The company’s Asia-Pacific segment ...