Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 1,953 Shares of Clean Harbors, Inc. $CLH

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lowered its stake in shares of Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) by 0.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 393,116 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,953 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Clean Harbors were worth $91,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Clean Harbors in the 2nd quarter worth $147,632,000. Nordea Investment Management AB bought a new stake in shares of Clean Harbors in the third quarter valued at about $108,608,000. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new stake in Clean Harbors during the second quarter worth about $44,446,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its stake in Clean Harbors by 41.9% during the third quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 362,730 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $84,233,000 after acquiring an additional 107,150 shares during the period. Finally, SG Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Clean Harbors during the second quarter valued at about $20,753,000. 90.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Clean Harbors Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of Clean Harbors stock opened at $292.13 on Friday. Clean Harbors, Inc. has a 12-month low of $178.29 and a 12-month high of $293.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.13 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $241.43. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01.

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The business services provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.03. Clean Harbors had a net margin of 6.48% and a return on equity of 14.47%. The firm had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.55 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Clean Harbors, Inc. will post 7.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Clean Harbors from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup raised their target price on Clean Harbors from $274.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Clean Harbors from $228.00 to $253.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Clean Harbors in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Clean Harbors from $248.00 to $291.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $292.18.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Eric W. Gerstenberg sold 601 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.90, for a total transaction of $144,780.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,454 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,154,368.60. This trade represents a 1.18% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Eric J. Dugas sold 2,788 shares of Clean Harbors stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.31, for a total value of $784,292.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 15,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,482,112.23. The trade was a 14.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 7,679 shares of company stock valued at $2,132,403 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 5.60% 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.