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CLH vs WCN
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Clean Harbors (CLH) vs. Waste Connections (WCN) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Clean Harbors (CLH) has significantly outperformed Waste Connections (WCN) year-to-date (YTD), with returns around 33% compared to WCN's approximately 8%.
- Both firms serve the environmental services sector, but CLH specializes in hazardous waste management while WCN focuses on solid waste collection and recycling.
- CLH boasts record full-year 2025 revenues of $6.03 billion, up from prior periods, driving recent momentum.
- WCN offers a dividend yield of 0.87% and lower beta (0.61), appealing to stability-focused investors.
- CLH's trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 43x versus WCN's 39x, with analysts raising targets for both.
- Recent quarterly revenue growth favors WCN at 6.4% year-over-year (yoy), compared to CLH's 4.8%.
Introduction
Clean Harbors (CLH) and Waste Connections (WCN) operate in the resilient environmental services industry, providing essential waste management solutions amid growing regulatory and sustainability demands. This stock comparison evaluates their recent market performance, financial metrics, and growth trajectories, helping traders assess relative momentum and investors weigh stability versus upside potential. With both benefiting from sector tailwinds like industrial cleanup needs and recycling trends, understanding their contrasts in recent weeks offers insights for portfolio positioning in volatile markets.
CLH Overview and Recent Performance
Clean Harbors (CLH) is a leading provider of environmental, energy, and industrial services, specializing in hazardous waste disposal, emergency response, and recycling. In recent market activity, CLH has shown robust momentum, with shares trading near their 52-week high of $317 amid a year-to-date gain of about 33%. The company's Q4 2025 results highlighted record full-year revenues of $6.03 billion, up 5% in the quarter to $1.5 billion, fueled by strong environmental services demand. Positive analyst updates, including raised price targets to $337, have bolstered sentiment, though high valuations (trailing P/E of 43x) reflect growth expectations tempered by sector slowdown risks. Recent participation in industry conferences underscores ongoing strategic visibility.
WCN Overview and Recent Performance
Waste Connections (WCN) delivers integrated solid waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services across North America. Shares have advanced modestly YTD by around 8%, with a post-Q1 2026 earnings pop of 3.2%, trading within a 52-week range of $155-$199. The quarter saw revenues rise 6.4% yoy, beating estimates, alongside adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) growth of 8%, supported by core pricing gains of 6%. Management's outlook for full-year revenue expansion and margin improvement has sustained interest, though net income dipped slightly. A lower beta of 0.61 and 0.87% dividend yield enhance its defensive appeal amid broader market fluctuations.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
While both CLH and WCN thrive in environmental services, CLH emphasizes hazardous and industrial waste with higher growth volatility, versus WCN's steady solid waste operations bolstered by recurring municipal contracts. Growth drivers differ: CLH leverages emergency services and record revenues, while WCN benefits from pricing power and acquisitions. Recent momentum favors CLH's 33% YTD surge over WCN's 8%, but WCN counters with a lower forward P/E (21x vs. 37x), superior quarterly revenue growth (6.4% vs. 4.8%), and reduced risk via lower beta and dividends. Market sentiment tilts toward CLH for upside in bullish cycles, while WCN suits defensive positioning amid economic uncertainty.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron's AI tools currently lean toward CLH based on superior trend consistency, YTD outperformance, and catalysts like revenue records and analyst upgrades in recent weeks. However, WCN holds appeal for its relative stability and valuation edge, suggesting a probabilistic tilt toward CLH in momentum-driven environments while monitoring sector risks.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is CLH is a Buy and WCN is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
CLH’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileWCN’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s).
- CLH’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- WCN’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
CLH’s TA Score shows that 6 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WCN’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- CLH’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
- WCN’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
CLH (@Environmental Services) experienced а +1.68% price change this week, while WCN (@Environmental Services) price change was +0.57% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Environmental Services industry was -1.84%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +8.85%, and the average quarterly price growth was -2.73%.
Reported Earning Dates
CLH is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
WCN is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Environmental Services (-1.84% weekly)Environmental Services includes companies that collect and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Their services include removal of toxic waste from soil, removing medical waste etc. Some companies also operate incinerators, sewerage systems, waste treatment plants, and landfills. Demand for waste management is likely to rise with increasing urbanization/industrialization. Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services, Inc., Waste Connections, Inc. and Tetra Tech, Inc. are some of the major companies in this business.
| CLH | WCN | CLH / WCN | |
| Capitalization | 15.2B | 39.7B | 38% |
| EBITDA | 1.16B | 2.99B | 39% |
| Gain YTD | 22.731 | -10.590 | -215% |
| P/E Ratio | 38.99 | 38.08 | 102% |
| Revenue | 6.06B | 9.61B | 63% |
| Total Cash | 669M | 112M | 597% |
| Total Debt | 3.04B | 9.43B | 32% |
CLH | WCN | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 87 | 15 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 77 Overvalued | 43 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 18 | 56 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 58 | 63 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 60 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 31 | 94 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
WCN's Valuation (43) in the Environmental Services industry is somewhat better than the same rating for CLH (77). This means that WCN’s stock grew somewhat faster than CLH’s over the last 12 months.
CLH's Profit vs Risk Rating (18) in the Environmental Services industry is somewhat better than the same rating for WCN (56). This means that CLH’s stock grew somewhat faster than WCN’s over the last 12 months.
CLH's SMR Rating (58) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (63). This means that CLH’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
CLH's Price Growth Rating (51) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (60). This means that CLH’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
CLH's P/E Growth Rating (31) in the Environmental Services industry is somewhat better than the same rating for WCN (94). This means that CLH’s stock grew somewhat faster than WCN’s over the last 12 months.
| CLH | WCN | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 83% | 3 days ago 70% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | 3 days ago 47% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 76% | 3 days ago 50% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 68% | 3 days ago 47% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 70% | 3 days ago 46% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 40% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 5 days ago 68% | 5 days ago 46% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 48% | 17 days ago 45% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 74% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 71% | 3 days ago 36% |
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