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CLH Stock Analysis - CLEAN HARBORS INC AI Rating

CLH NYSE Hazardous Waste Management MA CIK: 0000822818
Recently Updated • Analysis: Mar 22, 2026 • SEC Data: 2025-12-31
AI Rating
BUY
72% Confidence

📊 CLH Key Takeaways

Revenue: $6.0B
Net Margin: 6.5%
Free Cash Flow: $441.8M
Current Ratio: 2.33x
Debt/Equity: 1.01x
EPS: $7.28
AI Rating: BUY with 72% confidence

Investment Thesis

Clean Harbors demonstrates strong operational fundamentals with robust profitability margins (11.2% operating margin) and healthy free cash flow generation of $441.8M. The company maintains solid liquidity (2.33x current ratio) and moderate leverage (1.01x debt/equity), though the exceptional 4314% revenue growth appears anomalous and warrants investigation into acquisition activity or accounting adjustments.

CLH Strengths

  • + Strong operating margin of 11.2% indicates efficient core operations in hazardous waste management
  • + Substantial free cash flow generation of $441.8M provides flexibility for debt reduction and reinvestment
  • + Healthy liquidity position with 2.33x current ratio and $826.3M cash on hand
  • + Solid return metrics with 14.2% ROE and 5.1% ROA demonstrating reasonable capital efficiency
  • + Positive operating cash flow of $866.7M covers capex with significant surplus

CLH Risks

  • ! Extraordinarily high YoY revenue growth of 4314% is highly unusual and suggests major acquisition or accounting restatement requiring verification
  • ! Low gross margin of 3.9% indicates thin pricing power or high operational costs, limiting pricing flexibility
  • ! Significant long-term debt of $2.8B represents leverage concern despite moderate debt/equity ratio
  • ! Net margin of 6.5% is modest relative to operating margin, suggesting elevated below-the-line expenses
  • ! 30 Form 4 insider filings in 90 days may indicate volatile stock or significant insider transactions worthy of investigation

Key Metrics to Watch

CLH Financial Metrics

Revenue
$6.0B
Net Income
$391.0M
EPS (Diluted)
$7.28
Free Cash Flow
$441.8M
Total Assets
$7.6B
Cash Position
$826.3M

💡 AI Analyst Insight

Strong liquidity with a 2.33x current ratio provides a solid financial cushion.

CLH Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin 3.9%
Operating Margin 11.2%
Net Margin 6.5%
ROE 14.2%
ROA 5.1%
FCF Margin 7.3%

CLH vs Default Sector

How CLEAN HARBORS INC compares to Default sector averages

Net Margin
CLH 6.5%
vs
Sector Avg 12.0%
CLH Sector
ROE
CLH 14.2%
vs
Sector Avg 15.0%
CLH Sector
Current Ratio
CLH 2.3x
vs
Sector Avg 1.8x
CLH Sector
Debt/Equity
CLH 1.0x
vs
Sector Avg 0.7x
CLH Sector

Sector benchmarks are approximate industry averages. Actual sector performance may vary.

CLH Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
2.33x
Quick Ratio
2.00x
Debt/Equity
1.01x
Debt/Assets
35.5%
Interest Coverage
N/A
Long-term Debt
$2.8B

CLH 5-Year Financial Trend

CLH 5-year financial data: Year 2021: Revenue $3.8B, Net Income $97.7M, EPS $1.74. Year 2022: Revenue $5.2B, Net Income $134.8M, EPS $2.42. Year 2023: Revenue $5.4B, Net Income $203.2M, EPS $3.71. Year 2024: Revenue $5.9B, Net Income $411.7M, EPS $7.56. Year 2025: Revenue $6.0B, Net Income $377.9M, EPS $6.95.
Revenue
Net Income
EPS (right axis)

5-Year Trend Summary: CLEAN HARBORS INC's revenue has grown significantly by 58% over the 5-year period, indicating strong business expansion. The most recent EPS of $6.95 reflects profitable operations.

CLH Growth Metrics (YoY)

Revenue Growth
N/A
Year-over-year
Net Income Growth
N/A
Year-over-year
EPS Growth
N/A
Earnings per share
FCF Margin
7.3%
Free cash flow / Revenue

CLH Quarterly Performance

Quarterly financial performance data for CLEAN HARBORS INC including revenue, net income, and earnings per share.
Quarter Revenue Net Income EPS
Q3 2025 $1.5B $58.7M $2.12
Q2 2025 $1.5B $58.7M $2.36
Q1 2025 $1.4B $58.7M $1.09
Q3 2024 $1.4B $69.8M $1.68
Q2 2024 $1.4B $69.8M $2.13
Q1 2024 $1.3B $69.8M $1.29
Q3 2023 $1.4B $45.3M $1.68
Q2 2023 $1.4B $45.3M $2.13

Data sourced from SEC EDGAR 10-Q quarterly filings. Figures may represent quarterly or cumulative values.

CLH Capital Allocation

Operating Cash Flow
$866.7M
Cash generated from operations
Stock Buybacks
$250.0M
Shares repurchased (TTM)
Capital Expenditures
$424.9M
Investment in assets
Dividends
None
No dividend program

CLH SEC Filings

Access official SEC EDGAR filings for CLEAN HARBORS INC (CIK: 0000822818)

📋 Recent SEC Filings

Date Form Document Action
Mar 19, 2026 4 xslF345X06/form4-03192026_070304.xml View →
Mar 19, 2026 4 xslF345X06/form4-03192026_070317.xml View →
Mar 17, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4-03172026_070354.xml View →
Mar 17, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4-03172026_070309.xml View →
Mar 17, 2026 4 xslF345X05/form4-03172026_070317.xml View →

Frequently Asked Questions about CLH

What is the AI rating for CLH?

CLEAN HARBORS INC (CLH) has an AI rating of BUY with 72% confidence, based on fundamental analysis of SEC EDGAR filings.

What are CLH's key strengths?

Strong operating margin of 11.2% indicates efficient core operations in hazardous waste management. Substantial free cash flow generation of $441.8M provides flexibility for debt reduction and reinvestment.

What are the risks of investing in CLH?

Extraordinarily high YoY revenue growth of 4314% is highly unusual and suggests major acquisition or accounting restatement requiring verification. Low gross margin of 3.9% indicates thin pricing power or high operational costs, limiting pricing flexibility.

What is CLH's revenue and growth?

CLEAN HARBORS INC reported revenue of $6.0B.

Does CLH pay dividends?

CLEAN HARBORS INC does not currently pay dividends.

Where can I find CLH SEC filings?

Official SEC filings for CLEAN HARBORS INC (CIK: 0000822818) including 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K reports are available on SEC EDGAR.

What is CLH's EPS?

CLEAN HARBORS INC has a diluted EPS of $7.28.

How is the AI analysis conducted?

Our AI (Claude) analyzes publicly available SEC EDGAR filings including 10-K annual reports and 10-Q quarterly reports to evaluate financial health, profitability ratios, balance sheet strength, and growth metrics.

Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by Claude AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: Mar 22, 2026 | Data as of: 2025-12-31 | Powered by Claude AI