Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

CLH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Clean Harbors from $253.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Clean Harbors from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Citigroup began coverage on Clean Harbors in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $263.00 price objective on the stock. CJS Securities upgraded Clean Harbors to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $237.00 price target on shares of Clean Harbors in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.08.

Clean Harbors Trading Up 1.9%

CLH opened at $258.97 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 2.44. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $231.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.80. Clean Harbors has a one year low of $178.29 and a one year high of $259.32. The stock has a market cap of $13.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.92 and a beta of 0.95.

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.37 by ($0.16). Clean Harbors had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 14.61%. The business had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.12 EPS. Clean Harbors’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Clean Harbors will post 7.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Clean Harbors

In other news, CEO Eric W. Gerstenberg sold 601 shares of Clean Harbors stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.90, for a total value of $144,780.90. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 50,454 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,154,368.60. This trade represents a 1.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clean Harbors

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLH. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Clean Harbors by 22.8% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 232 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Clean Harbors by 0.3% in the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 15,726 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,636,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management boosted its position in Clean Harbors by 6.1% in the second quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 839 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Clean Harbors by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 990 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its position in Clean Harbors by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 9,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,197,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.43% 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.