Needham Adjusts Clean Harbors Price Target to $255, Maintains Buy Rating

Needham analyst James Ricchiuti has lowered the price target for Clean Harbors (CLH) from $268 to $255, a 4.85% decrease, while maintaining a "Buy" rating. The revised target still indicates a positive outlook for the company. The average target price among 12 analysts is $251.26, with an upside of 14.45% from the current price. Clean Harbors has an average brokerage recommendation of 1.9, indicating "Outperform" status.

Ask Aime: "Will Clean Harbors' stock continue to rise after Needham's price target drop?"

Title: Analysts Adjust Clean Harbors Price Targets Amid Mixed Sentiments

In a recent development, Needham analyst James Ricchiuti has lowered the price target for Clean Harbors (CLH) from $268 to $255, a 4.85% decrease, while maintaining a "Buy" rating. This adjustment reflects a nuanced outlook amidst a mix of bullish and bearish sentiments from analysts. The average target price among 12 analysts stands at $251.26, with an upside of 14.45% from the current price. Clean Harbors maintains an average brokerage recommendation of 1.9, indicating an "Outperform" status [1].

Analyst Perspectives

Over the last three months, 11 analysts have shared their evaluations of Clean Harbors, revealing a diverse range of outlooks. The table below provides a snapshot of these ratings, showing how sentiments have evolved over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months:

| Bullish | Somewhat Bullish | Indifferent | Somewhat Bearish | Bearish |
|---------|------------------|-------------|------------------|---------|
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

Key Insights

Analysts adapt their recommendations based on changing market conditions and company performance. Recent adjustments in ratings and price targets highlight this dynamic. For instance, David Manthey of Baird raised the price target from $250 to $255, while James Ricchiuti lowered it from $268 to $255. Other analysts, such as Jon Windham of UBS and Jerry Revich of Goldman Sachs, also adjusted their targets downward, reflecting cautious optimism [1].

Financial Performance

Clean Harbors, an environmental and industrial services provider, has shown positive revenue growth of approximately 6.95% over the last three months, as of 31 December 2024. The company's net margin of 5.87% exceeds industry averages, indicating strong profitability. Additionally, the company's return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) both exceed industry averages, demonstrating effective capital utilization [1].

Upcoming Earnings

Clean Harbors is scheduled to announce its Q1 2025 earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th, before the market opens. The consensus EPS estimate is $1.05, with a consensus revenue estimate of $1.44 billion, representing a 4.3% year-over-year increase. Over the past year, Clean Harbors has beaten EPS estimates 75% of the time and revenue estimates 25% of the time [2].

Conclusion

The recent adjustments in analyst ratings and price targets for Clean Harbors reflect a complex landscape of investor sentiment. While the average price target indicates a positive outlook, the mixed ratings underscore the need for cautious optimism. Investors should stay informed about upcoming earnings and continue monitoring analyst actions to make well-informed decisions.

References

[1] https://www.benzinga.com/insights/analyst-ratings/25/05/45134490/clean-harbors-stock-a-deep-dive-into-analyst-perspectives-11-ratings
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4437128-clean-harbors-q1-2025-earnings-preview

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