Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) Hits New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $299.55 and last traded at $295.4830, with a volume of 98403 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $290.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CLH. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Clean Harbors from $228.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Clean Harbors in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Clean Harbors from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $300.00 target price on shares of Clean Harbors in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Clean Harbors from $240.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $299.27.

Clean Harbors Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 2.33 and a quick ratio of 2.00. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $278.34 and its 200-day moving average is $249.05. The stock has a market cap of $15.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.67 and a beta of 0.93.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Clean Harbors

In other Clean Harbors news, EVP Brian P. Weber sold 4,683 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $293.39, for a total transaction of $1,373,945.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 48,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,296,307.92. This trade represents a 8.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sharon M. Gabriel sold 3,540 shares of Clean Harbors stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $282.07, for a total value of $998,527.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 23,193 shares in the company, valued at $6,542,049.51. This represents a 13.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 13,597 shares of company stock worth $3,895,286. Insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Clean Harbors

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CLH. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Clean Harbors in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $152,195,000. Durable Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Clean Harbors during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $133,217,000. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in shares of Clean Harbors by 120.8% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,040,594 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $246,725,000 after purchasing an additional 569,388 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its holdings in Clean Harbors by 148.3% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 384,494 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $89,287,000 after purchasing an additional 229,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in Clean Harbors by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,376,088 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $557,146,000 after purchasing an additional 215,659 shares during the period. 90.43% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Clean Harbors Company Profile

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.