Clean Harbors Stock Price Decreases 4% Despite Q4 Earnings Beat

Clean Harbors, Inc. CLH has reported impressive fourth-quarter 2024 results, wherein earnings and revenues beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate.See Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.Better-than-expected earnings did not impress investors, as the CLH stock has declined 3.8% since the release of results on Feb. 19, 2025.CLH’s earnings of $1.55 per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.7% but decreased 14.8% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $1.4 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by a slight margin and increased 7% on a year-over-year basis.The stock has gained 18.5% in a year compared with the 29.7% rise of the industry it belongs to and 9.8% growth of the Zacks S&P 500 composite.Clean Harbors, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise  Clean Harbors, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Clean Harbors, Inc. QuoteCLH’s Segmental RevenuesEnvironmental Services (ES) revenues of $1.2 billion grew 9.1% from the year-ago quarter, meeting our projection. Healthy demand for ES services was a cornerstone in generating strong waste collection volumes, mainly containerized waste, and a healthy flow of project work, leading to a surge in this segment’s revenues.Revenues from Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) amounted to $216.9 million, decreasing 4% on a year-over-year basis and missing our estimate of $230.1 million. A challenging commodity pricing environment with market conditions resulting in a detriment of base oil and lubricants hurt this segment’s revenues.Clean Harbors’ Profitability PerformanceAdjusted EBITDA of $257.2 million grew marginally from the year-ago quarter and beat our projection of $253.2 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin was 18%, down 100 basis points from the year-ago quarter.Segment-wise, adjusted EBITDA for ES amounted to $310.6 million, increasing 11.5% year over year. The figure outpaced our estimate of $281.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA for SKSS was $24.6 million, down 47.4% from the year-ago quarter and missing our projection of $38.4 million.Balance Sheet & Cash Flow of CLHClean Harbors exited the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $687.2 million compared with $513.4 million at the end of the preceding quarter. Inventories and supplies were $384.7 million compared with $376.6 million in the third quarter of 2024.Long-term debt (less current portion) was $2.8 billion, flat with the previous quarter. CLH generated $303.9 million in net cash from operating activities. The capital expenditure amounted to $62.4 million. The adjusted free cash flow utilized was $247.5 million.CLH’s Q1 & 2025 GuidanceFor the first quarter of 2025, Clean Harbor expects adjusted EBITDA growth of 4-6%.For 2025, CLH’s guidance for adjusted EBITDA is $1.15-$1.21 billion. The adjusted free cash flow is expected to be $430-$490 million.Clean Harbors currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Earnings SnapshotWaste Connections, Inc. WCN reported mixed fourth-quarter 2024 results.WCN’s adjusted earnings of $1.16 per share (excluding $1.92 from non-recurring items) missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.3% but increased 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Revenues of $2.3 billion beat the consensus estimate marginally and grew 11% from the year-ago quarter.Republic Services, Inc. RSG posted mixed fourth-quarter 2024 results.RSG’s earnings per share of $1.58 (excluding 5 cents from non-recurring items) outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.3% and grew 12.1% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $4 billion missed the consensus mark by a slight margin but increased 5.6% year over year.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. From inception in 2012 through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Sheraz has combed through 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and handpicked the best 10 to buy and hold in 2025. You can still be among the first to see these just-released stocks with enormous potential. See New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Republic Services, Inc. (RSG): Free Stock Analysis Report Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH): Free Stock Analysis Report Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks