Clean Harbors Crushes Earnings Estimates

Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH  ) reported earnings on Feb. 20. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Clean Harbors beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue grew slightly. GAAP earnings per share grew significantly.

Gross margins shrank, operating margins contracted, net margins grew.

Revenue details
Clean Harbors recorded revenue of $559.0 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ hoped for sales of $543.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were the same as the prior-year quarter's.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at $1.11. The 12 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $0.44 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.11 for Q4 were 54% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.72 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 28.5%, 310 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 6.5%, 440 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 11.1%, 410 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $937.5 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.69.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $3.53 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.87.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 307 members out of 328 rating the stock outperform, and 21 members rating it underperform. Among 81 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 74 give Clean Harbors a green thumbs-up, and seven give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Clean Harbors is outperform, with an average price target of $63.71.

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