Clean Harbors Inc
Q2 2026 Earnings
Market Reaction
Did CLH Beat Earnings? Q2 2026 Results
Clean Harbors posted a standout second quarter of 2026, beating Wall Street on both top and bottom lines as accelerating demand across its environmental and oil re-refining businesses powered results well ahead of expectations. The company reported diluted EPS of $3.22, clearing the $2.81 consensus estimate by 14.59%, while revenue climbed 11.9% year over year to $1.74 billion against a $1.64 billion forecast. The single most dramatic driver was the Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions segment, where revenue surged 41% and Adjusted EBITDA jumped 143% to $92.99 million, fueled by a sharp rise in re-refined product pricing tied to global supply disruptions. Technical Services also contributed meaningfully, with incineration utilization reaching 91% and a ten-year, $600 million disposal contract announced with a U.S. manufacturing customer set to commence in Q4 2026. Confidence in the momentum is reflected in raised full-year guidance, with management lifting the Adjusted EBITDA midpoint by $110 million to a range of $1.35 billion to $1.41 billion, citing reshoring trends, a growing PFAS pipeline, and favorable SKSS conditions extending into Q3.
- Strong disposal and recycling volumes in Environmental Services segment
- Sharp uptick in re-refined product market pricing due to global supply disruptions in SKSS
- Strategic pricing initiatives to offset inflation and fuel costs
- Incineration utilization rose to 91% from 86% a year ago, aided by new Kimball incinerator
- Landfill volumes rose 7% in Q2
- Technical Services revenue grew 18% on strong demand
- Safety-Kleen Environmental Services revenue increased 11%
- PFAS-related work including large filtration project
- Collected 61 million gallons of waste oil while increasing collection service revenues
“Our record second-quarter results demonstrate the substantial momentum we achieved in both of our operating segments. Our Environmental Services (ES) segment benefited from a combination of healthy volumes into our disposal and recycling network, remediation projects, PFAS-related work and our strategic pricing initiatives to offset inflation and fuel costs. Within our Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) segment, a sharp uptick in market pricing for our re-refined products drove significant profitability during the quarter.”
Clean Harbors CEO, on the earnings call
Forward Guidance & Outlook
Clean Harbors raised full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting Adjusted EBITDA of $1.35 billion to $1.41 billion (midpoint raised by $110 million) and adjusted free cash flow of $520 million to $580 million (midpoint raised by $30 million). Full-year GAAP net income is expected in the range of $481 million to $531 million. For Q3 2026, the company expects Adjusted EBITDA to grow 24% to 28% year over year. Management cited positive demand trends across both segments, a U.S. Manufacturing PMI above 50 for the first six months of 2026, ongoing reshoring creating new customer opportunities, a growing PFAS pipeline in the U.S. and Canada, multiple large emergency response events supporting Q3 Field Services growth, a new strategic data center offering for Industrial Services, and favorable SKSS supply conditions extending into Q3.
CLH YoY Financials
CLH Revenue by Segment
Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.