Clean Harbors (CLH) vs Waste Management (WM)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Clean Harbors (CLH) has outperformed Waste Management (WM) over the past year, gaining 36.0% versus a loss of 4.0%. Over five years, CLH leads with a +192.4% price change compared with +32.1% for WM. Waste Management is the larger company by market cap ($83.98 billion vs $16.75 billion), about 5.0 times the size.
On valuation, Waste Management trades at a lower forward P/E (23.1x vs 31.8x for Clean Harbors). Waste Management pays a dividend yielding 1.68%, while Clean Harbors does not currently pay one. Waste Management converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 10.7% versus 6.5%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | CLH | WM |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $317.34 | $210.10 |
| Market cap | $16.75B | $83.98B |
| 1-day change | +0.57% | +0.56% |
| YTD return | +34.57% | -4.90% |
| 1-year return | +36.01% | -3.96% |
| 5-year return | +192.38% | +32.10% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 38.47 | 29.76 |
| Forward P/E | 31.75 | 23.12 |
| EPS (TTM) | $8.25 | $7.06 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.68% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $3.54 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $6.03B | $25.20B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +2.39% | +14.24% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $390.97M | $2.71B |
| Gross margin | 31.28% | 40.44% |
| Operating margin | 11.17% | 17.09% |
| Net margin | 6.48% | 10.74% |
| 52-week high | $335.94 | $248.13 |
| 52-week low | $201.34 | $194.11 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -5.54% | -15.33% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +12.92% | +23.07% |
| Average volume | 437.29K | 2.05M |
| Shares outstanding | 52.79M | 399.72M |
| Employees | 22,155 | 60,500 |
| Sector | Industrials | Utilities |
| Industry | Environmental Services | Environmental Services |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Waste Management is about 5.0 times larger than Clean Harbors by market value ($83.98B vs $16.75B).
- CLH has outperformed WM by 40.0 percentage points over the past year.
- Clean Harbors trades at a higher earnings multiple (38.5x vs 29.8x trailing P/E).
- Waste Management offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (1.68% vs 0.00%).
- Waste Management grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+14.24% vs +2.39%).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Clean Harbors in Industrials and Waste Management in Utilities.
About Clean Harbors
CLH stock →Clean Harbors, Inc. provides environmental and industrial services in the United States and Canada.
Industrials · Environmental Services · 22,155 employees
About Waste Management
WM stock →Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and internationally. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, recovery facility, or disposal site; owns and operates transfer stations; and owns, develops, and operates landfill gas-to-energy facilities that produce renewable electricity and renewable natural gas.
Utilities · Environmental Services · 60,500 employees
CLH vs WM FAQ
Which is bigger, Clean Harbors or Waste Management?
Waste Management (WM) is larger, with a market capitalization of $83.98B compared with $16.75B for Clean Harbors (CLH).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, CLH or WM?
CLH returned +36.01% over the past 12 months, compared with -3.96% for WM (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, CLH or WM?
WM has the lower trailing P/E at 29.8, versus 38.5 for CLH. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Clean Harbors or Waste Management?
Waste Management pays a dividend yielding 1.68%, while Clean Harbors does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Clean Harbors and Waste Management in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Environmental Services industry within the Industrials sector.