Clean HarborsCLH -2.68%87 Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 43.78% as of Mar. 2026, which is 22% below its 10-year median of 55.82. GuruFocus rates CLH with a GF Score™ of 87/100 and a GF Value™ of $243.69 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 225 Waste Management companies, Clean Harbors ranks better than 85.33% on this metric.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated as Net Income divided by its average total shareholder tangible equity. Total shareholder tangible equity equals to Total Stockholders Equity minus Intangible Assets. Clean Harbors's annualized net income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $253 Mil. Clean Harbors's average shareholder tangible equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $577 Mil. Therefore, Clean Harbors's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 43.78%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Clean Harbors's Return-on-Tangible-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
CLH'
s Return-on-Tangible-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -31.06 Med: 55.82 Max: 582.03
Current: 71.91
During the past 13 years, Clean Harbors's highest Return-on-Tangible-Equity was 582.03%. The lowest was -31.06%. And the median was 55.82%.
CLH's Return-on-Tangible-Equity is ranked better than 85.33% of 225
companies
in the Waste Management industry
Industry Median: 9.1
vs CLH: 71.91
Return-on-Tangible-Equity measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's tangible equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' tangible equity (shareholders equity minus intangibles). Return-on-Tangible-Equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. Return-on-Tangible-Equitys between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.
Be Aware
Net Income is used.
Because a company can increase its Return-on-Tangible-Equity by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high Return-on-Tangible-Equity companies. Like Return-on-Tangible-Asset, Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their Return-on-Tangible-Equitys can be extremely high.
Clean Harbors Return-on-Tangible-Equity Related Terms
Clean Harbors Return-on-Tangible-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Clean Harbors's Return-on-Tangible-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.
CLH vs GFL, CWST, ONT: Return-on-Tangible-Equity Comparison
For the Waste Management subindustry, Clean Harbors's Return-on-Tangible-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Return-on-Tangible-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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity vs Waste Management Industry
For the Waste Management industry and Industrials sector, Clean Harbors's Return-on-Tangible-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Clean Harbors's Return-on-Tangible-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.
In the calculation of annual Return-on-Tangible-Equity, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder tangible equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is displayed in the 10-year financial page.
What does a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 43.78% mean?
Clean Harbors (CLH) has a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 43.78% as of Mar. 2026. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on Clean Harbors and its competitors. This is 22% below median its historical median of 55.82. According to the industry distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #33 out of 225 companies in the Waste Management industry, placing it in the top 14.7%.
Is Clean Harbors' Return-on-Tangible-Equity too high?
Clean Harbors' current Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 43.78% is 22% below median its 10-year median of 55.82. The Waste Management industry median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 9.10. Clean Harbors' value of 43.78% is 381.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #33 out of 225 companies in the Waste Management industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Clean Harbors has a GF Score™ of 87/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Clean Harbors' Return-on-Tangible-Equity compare to GFL and CWST?
According to the Waste Management industry distribution chart, Clean Harbors ranks #33 out of 225 companies for Return-on-Tangible-Equity. This places Clean Harbors in the top 15% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 9.10. Clean Harbors' value of 43.78% is 381.1% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 55.82 vs. the industry median of 9.10, 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity for a Waste Management company?
The median Return-on-Tangible-Equity among Waste Management companies is 9.10, based on 225 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Return-on-Tangible-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Return-on-Tangible-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Clean Harbors's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 43.78% is 381.1% 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity mean?
A high Return-on-Tangible-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on Clean Harbors and its competitors. For the Waste Management industry, the median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 9.10 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Clean Harbors's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 43.78%, which is 22% below median its own 10-year median of 55.82. 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 $243.69, compared to a current price of $290.74 — trading 19.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 43.78%, which is 22% below median its 10-year median of 55.82 and 381.1% above the Waste Management industry median of 9.10. Clean Harbors' overall GF Score™ is 87/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Return-on-Tangible-Equity calculated?
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Clean Harbors (CLH), the current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 43.78% 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 $290.74 is trading 19.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $243.69.
GuruFocus considers Clean Harbors to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for CLH:
Return-on-Tangible-Equity: 43.78% (22% below median its 10-year median of 55.82)
GF Value™: $243.69 vs. price of $290.74 (19.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 381.1% above the Waste Management median (#33 of 225)
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.
87GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CLH
Return-on-Tangible-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 
