Head-To-Head Survey: Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) and Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH)

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) and Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, profitability, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Clean Harbors and Quad Graphics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Clean Harbors	7.03%	15.65%	5.75%
Quad Graphics	1.31%	47.90%	4.61%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Clean Harbors and Quad Graphics, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Clean Harbors	0	5	11	2	2.83
Quad Graphics	0	2	3	0	2.60

Clean Harbors currently has a consensus price target of $357.71, indicating a potential upside of 11.96%. Quad Graphics has a consensus price target of $12.00, indicating a potential upside of 27.25%. Given Quad Graphics’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Quad Graphics is more favorable than Clean Harbors.

Volatility and Risk

Clean Harbors has a beta of 0.87, indicating that its stock price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Quad Graphics has a beta of 1.12, indicating that its stock price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Clean Harbors and Quad Graphics”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Clean Harbors	$6.24 billion	2.70	$390.97 million	$8.24	38.77
Quad Graphics	$2.38 billion	0.20	$27.00 million	$0.63	14.97

Clean Harbors has higher revenue and earnings than Quad Graphics. Quad Graphics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Clean Harbors, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

90.4% of Clean Harbors shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.5% of Quad Graphics shares are held by institutional investors. 5.0% of Clean Harbors shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.1% of Quad Graphics shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Clean Harbors beats Quad Graphics on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Clean Harbors

Clean Harbors, Inc. provides environmental and industrial services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions. The Environmental Services segment collects, transports, treats, and disposes hazardous and non-hazardous waste, such as resource recovery, physical treatment, fuel blending, incineration, landfill disposal, wastewater treatment, lab chemicals disposal, and explosives management services; and offers CleanPack services, including collection, identification, categorization, specialized packaging, transportation, and disposal of laboratory chemicals and household hazardous waste. This segment also provides industrial maintenance and specialty industrial services; and utilizes specialty equipment and resources that performs field services. The Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment provides pickup and transportation services for hazardous and non-hazardous containerized waste for recycling or disposal; machine cleaning and maintenance, and disposal and replenishment of clean solvent or aqueous fluids; and vacuum services to remove solids, residual oily water, and sludge and other fluids from customers' oil/water separators, sumps, and collection tanks, as well as removes and collects waste fluids found at large and small industrial locations, including metal fabricators, auto maintenance providers, and general manufacturers. This segment also manufactures, formulates, packages, distributes, and markets lubricants and other automotive products. Clean Harbors, Inc. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Norwell, Massachusetts.

About Quad Graphics

Quad/Graphics, Inc. provides marketing solutions worldwide. The company operates through United States Print and Related Services, and International segments. It offers printing services, such as retail inserts, publications, catalogs, special interest publications, journals, direct mail, directories, in-store marketing and promotion, packaging, newspapers, custom print products, and other commercial and specialty printed products; and paper procurement services. The company also provides marketing and other services, including data and analytics, technology solutions, media services, creative and content solutions, managed services, and execution in non-print channels, as well as manufactures ink. It serves blue-chip companies that operate in various industries, and serve businesses and consumers across various industry verticals comprising retail, consumer packaged goods and direct-to-consumer, as well as financial services and health. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin.