Revenue Growth: Up 4% in Q1. Adjusted EBITDA: $235 million, with a margin of 16.4%. Net Income: Earnings per share of $1.09. ES Segment Revenue Growth: 3% increase, with a 10 basis point margin improvement. Field Services Revenue Growth: 32%, driven by HEPACO acquisition and organic growth. Technical Services Revenue Growth: 5% increase, with incineration utilization at 88%. SKSS Segment Revenue: Increased year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $28 million. Cash and Short-term Marketable Securities: Approached $600 million at quarter end. Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio: Approximately 2.1 times. Adjusted Free Cash Flow: Negative $116 million for Q1. Share Buyback: Nearly 260,000 shares repurchased for $55 million. 2025 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance: $1.15 billion to $1.21 billion. 2025 Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance: $430 million to $490 million.

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Release Date: April 30, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

Clean Harbors Inc (NYSE:CLH) reported a record low total recordable incident rate (TRIR) of 0.46, marking the best safety performance in the company's history. The company's Q1 financial results exceeded expectations, with a 4% increase in overall revenue and strong performance in the RES and SKSS segments. The acquisition of HEPACO contributed to a 32% growth in field services revenue, supported by organic growth in the legacy business. Incineration utilization reached an impressive 88%, up from 79% in Q1 2024, with incineration pricing rising more than 5%. The company successfully doubled the average price per gallon charged for used oil collection, maintaining necessary volumes for production goals.

Negative Points

Industrial services revenue declined by 10% year-over-year, attributed to refinery customers delaying spending and deferring maintenance. Base oil pricing remained under pressure, impacting the adjusted EBITDA margin for the SKSS segment. The company faced challenges due to extreme weather conditions in January, resulting in an estimated $10 million to $12 million in lost EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA margin decreased year-over-year to 16.4%, although it was in line with expectations. Net income and earnings per share were down compared to the same period a year ago, influenced by higher depreciation and amortization costs.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you quantify the impact of weather on the Environmental Services (ES) segment in Q1, and will those volumes be made up? A: Eric Dugas, CFO, explained that weather had a significant impact, particularly in January, resulting in an estimated $10 million to $12 million of lost EBITDA. However, a strong performance in March helped offset some of the weather-related losses, providing positive momentum going into Q2.

Story Continues

Q: How does the Q2 guidance account for large-scale emergency response (ER) work and refinery turnarounds in Industrial Services? A: Eric Gerstenberg, Co-CEO, clarified that the Q2 guidance does not include any expected large-scale ER events. The company has over 150 planned turnarounds, indicating a strong pipeline for the second half of the year, despite refineries being cautious with spending.

Q: Can you discuss the cyclicality of the ES segment and its resilience to economic downturns? A: Eric Gerstenberg emphasized that the ES segment is recession-resistant, with strong growth expected in the second and third quarters. The business is not showing any early recession trends, and the pipeline for waste projects and services remains robust.

Q: What is the outlook for PFAS-related revenue growth, and how does the recent EPA announcement impact this? A: Eric Gerstenberg noted a strong and growing pipeline for PFAS services, with expected revenue growth in the 15% to 20% range. The recent EPA announcement on PFAS regulation is seen as a positive development, supporting long-term growth opportunities.

Q: How is the ramp-up of the Kimball incinerator affecting pricing and customer discussions? A: Eric Gerstenberg reported that the Kimball incinerator is ramping up well, with a goal of processing over 28,000 tons this year. The mid-single-digit growth in incineration pricing is expected to continue, and the plant's performance has positively influenced customer discussions.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.