Clean Harbors

CLH Q1 2026 Earnings

Reported May 6, 2026 at 8:12 AM ET · SEC Source

Q1 26 EPS

$1.19

Q1 26 Revenue

$1.46B

MISS 0.68%

Est. $1.47B

vs S&P Since Q1 26

-12.2%

TRAILING MARKET

CLH -8.7% vs S&P +3.5%

Market Reaction

Did CLH Beat Earnings? Q1 2026 Results

Clean Harbors delivered a beat-and-raise quarter in Q1 2026, posting adjusted EPS of $1.19 against a consensus estimate of $1.15, a 3.41% beat, even as revenue of $1.46 billion came in just 0.68% shy of the $1.47 billion Wall Street expected, represe… Read more Clean Harbors delivered a beat-and-raise quarter in Q1 2026, posting adjusted EPS of $1.19 against a consensus estimate of $1.15, a 3.41% beat, even as revenue of $1.46 billion came in just 0.68% shy of the $1.47 billion Wall Street expected, representing 1.9% growth year over year. The core driver behind the earnings strength was broad-based profitability improvement across both operating segments, with Environmental Services benefiting from a 5% rise in Technical Services revenue on strong PFAS-related project demand and landfill volumes surging 34%, while the Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment expanded Adjusted EBITDA by 17% to $32.98 million on a favorable charge-for-oil pricing strategy and rising base oil prices. Management rewarded investors with a raised full-year 2026 outlook, lifting its Adjusted EBITDA guidance midpoint by $40 million to a range of $1.24 billion to $1.30 billion and nudging adjusted free cash flow guidance to $490 million to $550 million, reflecting confidence in sustained environmental services demand from reshoring activity and PFAS remediation trends.

Key Takeaways

  • ES segment delivered 16th consecutive quarter of year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA margin improvement
  • Technical Services revenue grew 5% on demand for disposal, recycling, and PFAS-related work
  • Safety-Kleen Environmental Services revenue within ES increased 7% driven by pricing and core offerings growth
  • Landfill volumes rose 34% due to sizeable project activity
  • Field Services revenue grew 7% including a large-scale emergency project generating approximately $10 million
  • SKSS segment Adjusted EBITDA grew 17% with 320-basis-point margin improvement
  • Charge-for-oil (CFO) pricing strategy and late-quarter surge in base oil pricing benefited SKSS
  • Collected 53 million gallons of waste oil
  • Incineration utilization at 80% reflecting planned maintenance and weather impacts

CLH Forward Guidance & Outlook

Clean Harbors raised its full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting Adjusted EBITDA of $1.24 billion to $1.30 billion (midpoint $1.27 billion, up $40 million) and adjusted free cash flow of $490 million to $550 million (midpoint $520 million, up $10 million). For Q2 2026, the company expects Adjusted EBITDA to grow 5% to 9% year over year. Management cited positive demand trends from reshoring, PFAS remediation, project services, and an improving U.S. economic backdrop. The SKSS segment is operating in a rising pricing and demand environment. Industrial Services continues to operate in a challenged market, but strategic initiatives are underway to ensure growth as conditions improve. The company remains focused on organic growth and acquisition prospects in 2026.

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CLH YoY Financials

Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025, source: SEC Filings

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CLH Revenue by Segment

With YoY comparisons, source: SEC Filings

Q1 25 Q1 26

“We began 2026 with better-than-expected first-quarter results, including higher profitability in both of our operating segments. Our Environmental Services (ES) segment delivered its 16th consecutive quarter of year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA margin improvement, navigating challenging weather conditions that impacted our collection and services businesses. At the same time, our Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) segment benefited from our continued focus around charge-for-oil (CFO) services and a late-quarter surge in base oil pricing. Our safety performance was outstanding, with the team achieving the lowest quarterly Total Recordable Incident Rate in our history at 0.39.”

— Eric Gerstenberg, Q1 2026 Earnings Press Release