Clean Harbors

Clean Harbors Inc is assigned a 3-star quantitative star rating, reflecting our opinion that this share class is a balanced choice, but prudent investors should consider looking elsewhere. The stock currently trades at a minor 2% premium over our quantitative fair value estimate of $303.83 per share; however, this estimate should be taken with a pinch of salt due to its medium uncertainty rating.

The firm's valuation metrics weaken our estimated fair value. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. For example, the firm's enterprise value to market value ratio of 1.2 lies in the top 45% globally. The market value of equity is low relative to the business' enterprise value, suggesting the company could be buried in debt if anything goes wrong. We believe this is a sign that shares could be expensive.

The company's unfavorable dividend structure is an additional cause for concern. Dividends represent a stable form of future cash flows returned to shareholders, and low dividend payments can increase the perceived risk of a business. The firm's forward dividend yield of 0%, for example, ranks in the bottom 30% compared with peers globally. This could imply a planned dividend cut or relatively high share price, which further promotes our unfavorable price/fair value ratio.

In addition to the aforementioned drivers, our model considers momentum as part of its comprehensive analysis. This share class has outperformed the broader universe over the past year. This outperformance may signify a bull trap, in light of other detractors from our model.

The company earns a quantitative moat rating of wide, suggesting a strong ability to maintain superior profitability thanks to competitive advantages that could persist up to two decades. In addition, the company's moderate financial health score is decent and doesn't seriously concern us with regard to financial distress.