Should I Buy CLH? CLH 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy Clean Harbors Inc (CLH) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Buy

Latest Price

257.660

1 Day change

-0.19%

52 Week Range

268.220

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/28

BUY (long-term). Clean Harbors looks like a solid long-term buy right now for a beginner investor with $50k–$100k who doesn’t want to wait for a perfect entry. The long-term trend is still bullish (moving averages stacked upward), hedge funds have been accumulating heavily, and Wall Street price targets have been raised meaningfully into 2026 catalysts (PFAS disposal, M&A optionality, industrial recovery). Near-term momentum is slightly soft (bearish MACD, price under the pivot), and options positioning is defensive (high put open interest), but not enough to outweigh the longer-term setup at current levels near support.

Technical Analysis

Trend/price action: Long-term trend remains up (SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200), but the stock is experiencing a mild pullback (today -1.26%) and is trading below the pivot (260.763), suggesting near-term consolidation. Momentum: MACD histogram is negative (-0.441) and expanding lower, a short-term bearish momentum signal. RSI(6) ~47.5 is neutral—no oversold bounce signal yet. Levels: Immediate support S1 ~255.086 (near current price 257.35), then S2 ~251.58. Resistance is at ~266.44 (R1) and ~269.946 (R2). A clean move back above the pivot (~260.8) would improve near-term technicals. Pattern-based forward look (provided): Similar-pattern stats imply ~+1.18% next week and ~+6.3% next month (with only a slight next-day drift). Intellectia Proprietary Trading Signals - [AI Stock Picker](module://ai_stock_pick): No signal on given stock today. - [SwingMax](module://swingmax): No signal on given stock recently.

Options Data

Bearish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Sentiment from options skews defensive: open interest put/call ratio is high (2.7), implying heavier put positioning vs calls. Daily option volume is extremely low (calls 0; puts 10), so the signal is more about positioning than fresh conviction today. Volatility: 30D IV ~55.5 vs historical vol ~43.4 (options priced rich vs realized). IV percentile ~44 and IV rank ~24 suggest IV isn’t at extremes, but it’s elevated relative to realized volatility. Takeaway: Options market is leaning cautious/hedged rather than aggressively bullish, which aligns with the current short-term MACD weakness.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

Analyst-flagged 2026 fundamental catalysts: constructive PFAS disposal guidance potential, use of dry powder for M&A, and broader industrial recovery (Oppenheimer/Needham commentary).
Hedge fund activity: reported strong accumulation (buying amount up ~883% last quarter), supportive for medium/long-term demand.
Upcoming earnings window: Q4/full-year update (call announced Feb 18, 2026; earnings calendar shows QDEC 2025 earnings Feb 25, 2026 pre-market) can reset expectations if margins/volume trends improve.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Near-term technical momentum is weakening (MACD negative and worsening) and price is below the pivot—risk of testing support (~255 then ~252).
Options positioning is put-heavy (OI put/call 2.7), reflecting caution/hedging.
Mixed near-term fundamental tone in prior coverage: some firms cite uncertain demand environment / mixed outlook, and past commentary referenced cost pressures (notably around Q3).
Event risk: upcoming earnings could create a sharp move if guidance disappoints.

Financial Performance

Latest reported quarter: 2025/Q3. Growth was steady but not high: Revenue $1.549B (+1.30% YoY), Net Income $118.8M (+3.11% YoY), EPS $2.21 (+4.25% YoY). Gross margin improved to 24.92% (+1.96% YoY). Overall: modest top-line growth with improving profitability/margins—consistent with a durable long-term compounder profile rather than a high-growth story. Congress/politician activity: No recent congress trading data available; no notable politician/influential-figure trades provided. Insiders: Neutral (no significant recent trend provided).

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent trend: Since late 2025 into Jan 2026, targets have been raised broadly (Oppenheimer to $283 Outperform; Needham to $290 Buy; Citi to $274 Neutral; Goldman to $253 Neutral; Wells Fargo to $248 Equal Weight). This shows improving confidence in medium-term value/catalysts even among Neutral-rated firms. Wall Street pros: Industry-leading hazardous waste position; multiple 2026 catalysts (PFAS, M&A optionality, industrial recovery); margin improvement showing through. Wall Street cons: Valuation sensitivity and uncertain demand backdrop cited by Neutral/EW firms; mixed near-term outlook and some cost-pressure concerns historically. Net: Street is constructive on direction (higher targets), but not unanimously bullish on rating—more ‘quality company, watch entry/valuation’ than ‘screaming bargain.’

10 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast CLH stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CLH is 246.82 USD with a low forecast of 220 USD and a high forecast of 275 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

5 Buy

5 Hold

0 Sell

Moderate Buy

Current: 258.160

Low

220

Averages

246.82

High

275

Current: 258.160

Low

220

Averages

246.82

High

275

Oppenheimer

Noah Kaye

Outperform

maintain

$237 -> $283

AI Analysis

2026-01-23

Reason

Oppenheimer

Noah Kaye

Price Target

$237 -> $283

AI Analysis

2026-01-23

maintain

Outperform

Reason

Oppenheimer analyst Noah Kaye raised the firm's price target on Clean Harbors to $283 from $237 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm notes shares of Clean Harbors have rerated over the past month, with valuation receiving support from recent industry M&A and broader cyclical rotation. Oppenheimer sees fundamental catalysts as a more likely driver to support shares from here. To this, multiple potential catalysts present for 2026, including constructive PFAS disposal guidance, deployment of dry powder for M&A, and broader industrial recovery as upside to initial conservative outlook.

Wells Fargo

Jerry Revich

Equal Weight

maintain

$220 -> $248

2026-01-23

Reason

Wells Fargo

Jerry Revich

Price Target

$220 -> $248

2026-01-23

maintain

Equal Weight

Reason

Wells Fargo analyst Jerry Revich raised the firm's price target on Clean Harbors to $248 from $220 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The firm reiterates its positive outlook for the Machinery, Industrials & Environmental Services space heading into earnings. Wells argues the Machinery supply-driven recovery is broadening to new equipment, non-residential lead indicators are accelerating, and cash conversion is improving.

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CLH Should I Buy

CLH Should I Buy

Should You Buy Clean Harbors Inc (CLH) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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