CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION	1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION The unaudited consolidated financial information for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 reflect, in the opinion of company management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows of Ecolab Inc. ("Ecolab" or "the Company") for the interim periods presented. Any adjustments consist of normal recurring items. The financial results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The unaudited consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto incorporated in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016. During the first quarter of 2017, the Company adopted the accounting guidance issued in March 2016 that amends certain aspects of share-based compensation for employees, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classifications on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Under the new guidance, all excess tax benefits or deficiencies are to be recognized prospectively as discrete income tax items on the Consolidated Statement of Income, while previous guidance required realized excess tax benefits or deficiencies to be recognized in additional paid-in capital. The Company recorded $10.8 million and $26.8 million of excess tax benefits during the second quarter and first six months of 2017, respectively. The extent of excess tax benefits is subject to variation in stock price and stock option exercises. Adoption of the accounting standard also eliminated the requirement that excess tax benefits be realized before they can be recognized, and as a result, the Company recorded a $1.9 million cumulative-effect adjustment for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits. The Company’s adoption also resulted in associated excess tax benefits being classified as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows prospectively beginning January 1, 2017 with no changes to the prior year. Based on the adoption methodology applied, employee taxes paid remain classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows, and the statement of cash flows classification of prior periods has not changed. With regards to forfeitures, the new guidance allows companies either to continue to estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited or to account for forfeitures as they occur. The Company has elected to continue to estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited based on an estimate of the number of outstanding awards expected to vest. With respect to the unaudited financial information of the Company for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 included in this Form 10-Q, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. Their separate report dated August 3, 2017 appearing herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), for their report on the unaudited financial information because that report is not a "report" or a "part" of a registration statement prepared or certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.

1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The unaudited consolidated financial information for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 reflect, in the opinion of company management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows of Ecolab Inc. ("Ecolab" or "the Company") for the interim periods presented. Any adjustments consist of normal recurring items.

The financial results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The unaudited consolidated financial information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto incorporated in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

During the first quarter of 2017, the Company adopted the accounting guidance issued in March 2016 that amends certain aspects of share-based compensation for employees, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classifications on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Under the new guidance, all excess tax benefits or deficiencies are to be recognized prospectively as discrete income tax items on the Consolidated Statement of Income, while previous guidance required realized excess tax benefits or deficiencies to be recognized in additional paid-in capital. The Company recorded $10.8 million and $26.8 million of excess tax benefits during the second quarter and first six months of 2017, respectively. The extent of excess tax benefits is subject to variation in stock price and stock option exercises. Adoption of the accounting standard also eliminated the requirement that excess tax benefits be realized before they can be recognized, and as a result, the Company recorded a $1.9 million cumulative-effect adjustment for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits.

The Company’s adoption also resulted in associated excess tax benefits being classified as an operating activity in the statement of cash flows prospectively beginning January 1, 2017 with no changes to the prior year. Based on the adoption methodology applied, employee taxes paid remain classified as a financing activity on the statement of cash flows, and the statement of cash flows classification of prior periods has not changed. With regards to forfeitures, the new guidance allows companies either to continue to estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited or to account for forfeitures as they occur. The Company has elected to continue to estimate the number of awards that will be forfeited based on an estimate of the number of outstanding awards expected to vest.

With respect to the unaudited financial information of the Company for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 included in this Form 10-Q, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. Their separate report dated August 3, 2017 appearing herein states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), for their report on the unaudited financial information because that report is not a "report" or a "part" of a registration statement prepared or certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.