Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) Hits New 1-Year High on Earnings Beat

Shares of Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $284.57 and last traded at $281.4450, with a volume of 62414 shares. The stock had previously closed at $269.08.

The business services provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.01. Clean Harbors had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 14.61%. The business’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.55 earnings per share.

Key Stories Impacting Clean Harbors

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)

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on CLH shares. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Clean Harbors from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Raymond James Financial cut their price target on shares of Clean Harbors from $277.00 to $270.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Clean Harbors from $237.00 to $283.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. CJS Securities upgraded Clean Harbors to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Clean Harbors in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $262.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,454 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,154,368.60. The trade was a 1.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Clean Harbors

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLH. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Clean Harbors in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Clean Harbors in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in Clean Harbors by 205.1% during the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 119 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Clean Harbors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Clean Harbors by 676.5% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 132 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 90.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Clean Harbors Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 2.44. The company has a market capitalization of $15.02 billion, a PE ratio of 39.00 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $253.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $239.30.

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.