Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.01, Briefing.com reports. Clean Harbors had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 14.61%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.55 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Clean Harbors’ conference call:

• Clean Harbors delivered a record 2025 with > $6 billion in revenue, Adjusted EBITDA of ~$1.17 billion (up ~5%), and a record $509 million in adjusted free cash flow while expanding margins.
• The Environmental Services segment showed continued strength (15th straight quarter of YoY margin expansion) and accelerating PFAS momentum — highlighted by the EPA study, a Senate hearing, and a $110 million Pearl Harbor contract — with management modeling only a 20% PFAS business growth for 2026.
• Management is active on capital allocation: signed a ~$130 million acquisition (DCI businesses) expected to add ~$11 million EBITDA, approved a $50 million vacuum truck expansion (targeting $12–14M incremental EBITDA in 2028), and executed record repurchases ($250M in 2025) with ~$600M buyback capacity remaining.
• Safety‑Kleen (SKSS) faces continuing base‑oil price headwinds — Q4 revenue softened despite a Q4 EBITDA lift from higher collection charges — and guidance assumes SKSS Adjusted EBITDA of ~$135 million with Q1 softness and a slight base‑oil price decline embedded.
• 2026 guidance is conservative: Adjusted EBITDA of $1.20B–$1.26B (midpoint ~$1.23B, ~5% growth), adjusted free cash flow of $480M–$540M (mid $510M), and net CapEx ~ $340M–$400M (plus SDA/fleet spends), leaving upside if industrial activity or PFAS regulation accelerates.

Clean Harbors Price Performance

CLH traded up $14.16 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $283.24. 122,558 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 459,967. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $253.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.30. Clean Harbors has a 1 year low of $178.29 and a 1 year high of $284.57. The company has a market cap of $15.13 billion, a PE ratio of 39.46 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.44, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Clean Harbors News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Clean Harbors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus: Clean Harbors reported GAAP EPS of $1.62, topping Zacks/consensus estimates by a penny and up from $1.55 a year ago; revenue (~$1.5B) also beat estimates and rose ~4.8% year-over-year, showing underlying top-line growth that supports the stock move. Clean Harbors (CLH) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Improving profitability: Management said fourth‑quarter performance included higher profitability across both operating segments; company metrics reported (net margin ~6.5%, ROE ~14.6%) point to better margin leverage going into the year. Clean Harbors Announces Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials: Clean Harbors posted its formal press release and investor slide deck with full quarter detail and commentary — useful for modeling guidance and segment detail. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Media summaries: Coverage from Seeking Alpha and MarketBeat amplified the beat and revenue upside; these summaries may drive short‑term attention/flows but contain no new guidance. Clean Harbors GAAP EPS of $1.62 Beats by $0.01, Revenue of $1.5B Beats by $40M
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut forward estimates and kept a Hold: Despite the Q4 beat, Zacks trimmed multiple upcoming-quarter and full‑year EPS forecasts (including FY2026/FY2025 and several quarters) and maintains a “Hold” — a potential drag on sentiment if revisions continue. Zacks Research estimate revisions (summary)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on CLH. Raymond James Financial cut their price target on Clean Harbors from $277.00 to $270.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. CJS Securities raised shares of Clean Harbors to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Clean Harbors from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Clean Harbors from $228.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Clean Harbors from $220.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Clean Harbors presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.17.

Insider Activity at Clean Harbors

In related news, CEO Eric W. Gerstenberg sold 601 shares of Clean Harbors stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.90, for a total value of $144,780.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 50,454 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,154,368.60. This trade represents a 1.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Clean Harbors by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,526 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $358,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its stake in shares of Clean Harbors by 102.9% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 2,187 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 1,109 shares during the last quarter. Cynosure Group LLC boosted its position in Clean Harbors by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Cynosure Group LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Index Technologies Group LLC purchased a new position in Clean Harbors in the fourth quarter valued at $468,000. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Clean Harbors by 5.8% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,638 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $613,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.43% of the company’s stock.

About Clean Harbors

Clean Harbors, Inc is a leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services in North America. The company specializes in the collection, transportation and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, emergency spill response and remediation, industrial cleaning and on-site field services. Its comprehensive service offering also includes chemical neutralization, drum crushing, high-pressure water blasting, tank cleaning and vacuum services designed to help customers meet stringent environmental regulations.

Founded in 1980 by Alan S.