Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Clean HarborsCLH +0.09%86 Debt-to-Equity is 1.10 as of Mar. 2026, which is 19% below its 10-year median of 1.35. GuruFocus rates CLH with a GF Score™ of 86/100 and a GF Value™ of $245.04 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 213 Waste Management companies, Clean Harbors ranks worse than 76.53% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Clean Harbors's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
CLH'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.09 Med: 1.35 Max: 1.78
Current: 1.1
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Clean Harbors was 1.78. The lowest was 1.09. And the median was 1.35.
CLH's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 76.53% of 213
companies
in the Waste Management industry
Industry Median: 0.62
vs CLH: 1.10
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Clean Harbors Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Clean Harbors Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Clean Harbors's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Waste Management subindustry, Clean Harbors's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Clean Harbors Debt-to-Equity vs Waste Management Industry
For the Waste Management industry and Industrials sector, Clean Harbors's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Clean Harbors's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Clean Harbors (CLH) has a Debt-to-Equity of 1.10 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Clean Harbors and its competitors. This is 19% below median its historical median of 1.35. Over the past decade, Clean Harbors' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.09 to 1.78. According to the industry distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #163 out of 213 companies in the Waste Management industry, placing it in the top 76.5%.
Is Clean Harbors' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Clean Harbors' current Debt-to-Equity of 1.10 is 19% below median its 10-year median of 1.35. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.09 to a high of 1.78. The Waste Management industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.62. Clean Harbors' value of 1.10 is 77.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #163 out of 213 companies in the Waste Management industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Clean Harbors has a GF Score™ of 86/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Clean Harbors' Debt-to-Equity compare to GFL and CWST?
According to the Waste Management industry distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #163 out of 213 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Clean Harbors in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.62. Clean Harbors' value of 1.10 is 77.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Clean Harbors' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.09 to 1.78 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.35 vs. the industry median of 0.62, Clean Harbors has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Waste Management company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Waste Management companies is 0.62, based on 213 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Clean Harbors's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.10 is 77.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Clean Harbors and its competitors. For the Waste Management industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.62 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Clean Harbors's current Debt-to-Equity is 1.10, which is 19% below median its own 10-year median of 1.35. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Clean Harbors stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Clean Harbors (CLH) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $245.04, compared to a current price of $306.76 — trading 25.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 1.10, which is 19% below median its 10-year median of 1.35 and 77.4% above the Waste Management industry median of 0.62. Clean Harbors' overall GF Score™ is 86/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Clean Harbors (CLH), the current Debt-to-Equity is 1.10 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Clean Harbors (CLH) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Clean Harbors stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $306.76 is trading 25.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $245.04.
GuruFocus considers Clean Harbors to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for CLH:
Debt-to-Equity: 1.10 (19% below median its 10-year median of 1.35)
GF Value™: $245.04 vs. price of $306.76 (25.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 77.4% above the Waste Management median (#163 of 213)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CLH stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Clean Harbors Inc is an environmental and industrial services provider that provides parts cleaning and related environmental services to commercial, industrial, and automotive customers. Its business segments are Environmental Services and Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions. Environmental Services includes waste collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, and disposal, along with industrial maintenance services. Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions provides used oil collection and manufactures base oil, vacuum gas oil, and lubricants. The company generates the majority of its revenues from the Environmental Services segment and operates in the United States, with maximum revenue, and Canada.
86GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CLH
Debt-to-Equity is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
CLH has been successfully added to your 
