Clean Harbors, Inc. research snapshot

CLH AI Stock Analysis

CLH AI stock analysis currently views Clean Harbors as a durable North American environmental and industrial-services company with regulated disposal assets, emergency-response capability, and a used-oil recycling platform. The July 11, 2026 reference price of $300.96 values that quality at about 40.7x trailing earnings and 33.4x free cash flow. The CLH AI stock forecast is therefore scenario-based, not a price promise: upside needs steady Environmental Services growth, stronger Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions margins, and delivery on 2026 cash-flow guidance, while downside can follow multiple compression, weaker industrial activity, lower base-oil pricing, or environmental-liability and execution surprises.

Current price

$300.96

Market cap

$15.90 billion verified market cap

AI score

63 / 100

Rating

Durable environmental-services franchise with a premium valuation and execution watchpoints

Trend status

Constructive trend above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages

Data cutoff (updated weekly)

July 11, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
A-level information richness. Clean Harbors has long public filing history, audited SEC reports, quarterly releases, investor materials, Macrotrends history, StockAnalysis statistics, and broad analyst coverage.
bias Check
The main AI bias risk is treating regulatory barriers and a strong waste-management narrative as automatic valuation safety. The counter-check is that disposal assets can be excellent while returns disappoint if acquisitions, capital spending, debt costs, base-oil pricing, or industrial demand miss the expectations embedded in the multiple.
ai Confidence
High for FY2025 revenue, net income, balance-sheet figures, share count, market-cap math, Q1 2026 results, guidance, and the stated technical references. Medium for scenario ranges because market multiples, project timing, oil pricing, and industrial conditions can change quickly.
investment Certainty
Medium. The business has understandable service demand and valuable regulated infrastructure, but the price leaves limited room for weaker cash conversion, Safety-Kleen margin pressure, acquisition missteps, or a lower market multiple.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityClean Harbors earns from hazardous-waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal, emergency response, industrial services, parts cleaning, and used-oil collection and re-refining through Safety-Kleen.High
MoatPermitted disposal and incineration capacity, compliance expertise, national service coverage, customer safety needs, emergency-response capability, and the Safety-Kleen collection network create meaningful barriers, although regional competitors and project mix still matter.High
ManagementCo-CEOs Eric Gerstenberg and Mike Battles are executing on pricing, efficiency, organic investment, acquisitions, debt management, and buybacks. The test is whether capital deployment earns returns above the cost of capital as growth spending rises.Medium-high
Financial trendFY2025 revenue rose 2.4% to $6.031 billion while GAAP net income was $391.0 million. Q1 2026 revenue reached a record $1.460 billion and adjusted EBITDA rose 6% to $247.9 million.High
ValuationAt $300.96, CLH screened near 40.7x trailing earnings, 5.6x book value, 33.4x free cash flow, 2.58x sales, and 16.1x EV to EBITDA at the data cutoff.High
Technical trendThe July market reference was above the 50-day moving average near $293.47 and 200-day average near $264.35. RSI near 54.92 is neutral to mildly constructive rather than overbought.Medium-high
Risk levelKey risks are premium-multiple compression, industrial-services softness, base-oil and waste-oil volatility, environmental and remediation liabilities, acquisition integration, leverage, interest expense, regulation, and project timing.Medium-high
AI confidenceHistorical-data confidence is high because company, SEC, Macrotrends, and StockAnalysis data align. Forecast confidence is lower because the market price is sensitive to future cash conversion and valuation assumptions.High data confidence
Investment certaintyCLH is a high-quality infrastructure-like services business, but investment certainty is medium because the current multiple requires continued execution and leaves a modest margin of safety.Medium

CLH AI stock forecast

CLH AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The CLH AI stock forecast uses the $300.96 reference price, $7.39 trailing EPS, and a three-year scenario model. Pineify financial_rigor.py calculated roughly $384 in the bullish case, $254 in the base case, and $139 in the bearish case before any value from potential future capital returns. These are assumption-driven valuation ranges, not targets or recommendations.

Bullish case

$365 to $405

More likely if Environmental Services keeps gaining disposal and PFAS-related work, Safety-Kleen benefits from pricing and base-oil conditions, adjusted EBITDA reaches or exceeds the $1.24 billion to $1.30 billion 2026 guidance range, and the market retains a high-30s earnings multiple.

Base case

$235 to $270

More likely if earnings grow at a mid-single-digit pace but investors value Clean Harbors closer to a high-20s earnings multiple as growth normalizes and capital spending remains elevated.

Bearish case

$125 to $155

More likely if industrial demand weakens, base-oil economics reverse, acquisitions or growth projects fail to deliver expected returns, environmental costs rise, free cash flow misses guidance, and the market re-rates CLH toward a 20x earnings multiple.

CLH AI technical analysis

CLH AI Technical Analysis

CLH AI technical analysis is constructive as of the July 11, 2026 cutoff. StockAnalysis listed a $300.96 reference price, a 50-day moving average of $293.47, a 200-day moving average of $264.35, RSI of 54.92, and 20-day average volume of about 464,175 shares. The practical question is whether CLH can hold the 50-day zone while earnings and cash-flow execution support the valuation.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$300.96Market-data reference used for valuation and market-cap checks at the July 11, 2026 cutoff.
Immediate support$292 to $295This area brackets the 50-day moving average near $293.47 and is the first short-term trend test.
Deeper support$262 to $267This zone brackets the 200-day moving average near $264.35 and would represent a larger trend reset.
Near resistance$305 to $315A sustained move through this band would need volume and fundamental follow-through to confirm stronger momentum.
MomentumRSI near 54.92The reading is near neutral, so it does not by itself signal either an exhausted advance or a deeply oversold reset.
Volume20-day average near 464,175 sharesBreakouts and failures are more informative when volume expands relative to this reference.
VolatilityWatch July 29 earnings, 2026 EBITDA and free-cash-flow guidance, base-oil pricing, and industrial activityThose inputs can quickly alter the narrative behind a premium earnings multiple.
InvalidationClose below $292, then below $264 for the major trendA break below the 50-day area weakens the near-term setup. A sustained break near the 200-day area challenges the broader uptrend framework.

CLH AI trading strategy

CLH AI Trading Strategy Framework

The CLH AI trading strategy below is a research framework, not personal investment advice. It combines technical behavior with disposal volumes, pricing, Safety-Kleen economics, adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, debt, environmental liabilities, and valuation discipline.

Trend-following setup

Watch for CLH to hold or reclaim the $292 to $295 50-day zone while quarterly results confirm Environmental Services pricing and volume, Safety-Kleen profitability, and progress toward 2026 adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free-cash-flow guidance.

A close below $292, especially alongside weaker industrial demand, base-oil pricing, or cash-flow guidance, reduces trend confidence. Treat a deeper break below the $264 area as a reassessment signal rather than a routine dip.

Mean-reversion setup

If CLH retreats toward the $235 to $270 base-case range without deterioration in disposal demand, permits, pricing, operating cash flow, or balance-sheet capacity, compare the lower valuation with the durability of the service network and regulated asset base.

Do not assume a lower price is attractive if the move is paired with environmental liabilities, acquisition integration problems, rising leverage, weak Safety-Kleen economics, or a material reduction in cash-flow guidance.

Fundamental monitor

Track Environmental Services revenue and adjusted EBITDA margin, Technical Services and Field Services activity, incinerator utilization, Safety-Kleen waste-oil collection and base-oil pricing, capex, operating cash flow, adjusted free cash flow, debt, and share repurchases.

Position sizing should reflect CLH exposure to industrial cycles, regulated environmental obligations, and a valuation that can move sharply when expected cash generation changes.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Customers pay Clean Harbors to manage hazardous waste safely and compliantly, respond when environmental incidents occur, maintain industrial facilities, and collect, recycle, and re-refine used oil. The value proposition is risk reduction, regulatory compliance, uptime, and reliable disposal or recycling capacity.

Moat

The moat rests on permitted hazardous-waste and incineration infrastructure, operational know-how, insurance and compliance capability, national coverage, customer relationships, emergency-response readiness, and the Safety-Kleen collection and re-refining network. Building equivalent permitted capacity is difficult, but the moat does not remove project, pricing, and execution risk.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis can fail if industrial demand stays weak, base-oil prices or collection economics turn unfavorable, environmental and remediation costs exceed estimates, growth capex earns poor returns, acquisitions create integration or leverage pressure, or investors stop paying a premium multiple for moderate growth.

Management

Management is allocating capital to disposal and recycling capacity, branch expansion, acquisitions, debt management, and repurchases. The discipline test is whether those uses generate durable cash returns after interest costs, remediation obligations, and maintenance and growth capital spending.

Industry trend

Reshoring, environmental regulation, PFAS and remediation work, industrial compliance needs, recycling, and a larger installed base of hazardous materials support long-term demand. The offset is that industrial projects, oil-related economics, and customer activity remain cyclical.

Valuation and margin of safety

At $300.96, the market is valuing Clean Harbors for sustained growth and strong cash conversion. The margin of safety improves if the price resets toward a lower multiple or if results demonstrate that 2026 EBITDA and adjusted free-cash-flow guidance can be exceeded without excessive capital intensity or leverage.

Source-backed data

CLH Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
CLH quote reference$300.96 close on July 8, 2026StockAnalysis CLH statisticsJuly 11, 2026
Market capitalization verification$15.90 billion reported, $15.91 billion calculated from $300.96 x 52.85 million shares, a 0.04% differencePineify financial_rigor.py and StockAnalysis statisticsJuly 11, 2026
Shares outstanding52.85 million shares outstandingStockAnalysis CLH statisticsJuly 11, 2026
FY2025 revenue and net income$6.031 billion revenue and $391.0 million GAAP net incomeClean Harbors 2025 Form 10-KJuly 11, 2026
FY2025 revenue and net income cross-check$6.031 billion revenue and $391.0 million net income, matching Macrotrends and StockAnalysis after roundingMacrotrends CLH income statementJuly 11, 2026
Cash, investments, and debt$826.3 million cash, $127.4 million short-term marketable securities, $12.6 million current debt, and $2.764 billion long-term debt at December 31, 2025Clean Harbors 2025 Form 10-KJuly 11, 2026
FY2025 operating cash flow$866.7 million net cash from operating activitiesClean Harbors 2025 Form 10-KJuly 11, 2026
Q1 2026 results and guidance$1.460 billion revenue, $63.2 million GAAP net income, $247.9 million adjusted EBITDA, and $1.24 billion to $1.30 billion 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidanceClean Harbors Q1 2026 results releaseJuly 11, 2026
Valuation ratios40.04x PE, 2.58x sales, 5.61x book value, 33.44x price to free cash flow, and 16.07x EV to EBITDAStockAnalysis CLH statisticsJuly 11, 2026
Technical references50-day moving average $293.47, 200-day moving average $264.35, RSI 54.92, and 20-day average volume 464,175 sharesStockAnalysis CLH statisticsJuly 11, 2026
Three-scenario valuation auditPineify financial_rigor.py model: bullish $384, base $254, bearish $139 using $7.39 EPS, three-year 12%, 7%, and negative 2% growth cases, and 37x, 28x, and 20x target PE assumptionsPineify financial_rigor.py scenario modelJuly 11, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This CLH AI stock analysis is an informational research tool only and is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of return. Forecast scenarios are based on public data available through July 11, 2026, use explicit assumptions, and may be wrong if Clean Harbors fundamentals, technical conditions, environmental liabilities, regulation, oil pricing, industrial demand, or market sentiment change.