CWST vs. CLH

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST) and Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH).

Performance

CWST vs. CLH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST) and Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CWST vs. CLH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CWST Casella Waste Systems, Inc.	-18.99%	-7.44%	23.81%	7.75%	-7.15%	37.89%	34.59%	61.57%	23.76%	85.50%
CLH Clean Harbors, Inc.	22.28%	1.89%	31.88%	52.92%	14.38%	31.10%	-11.25%	73.76%	-8.95%	-2.61%

Fundamentals

Market Cap CWST : $5.04B CLH : $15.31B
EPS CWST : $0.12 CLH : $7.29
PE Ratio CWST : 640.10 CLH : 39.33
PS Ratio CWST : 2.74 CLH : 2.55
PB Ratio CWST : 3.21 CLH : 5.57
Total Revenue (TTM) CWST : $1.84B CLH : $6.03B
Gross Profit (TTM) CWST : $236.68M CLH : $1.89B
EBITDA (TTM) CWST : $391.00M CLH : $1.06B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CWST achieves a -18.99% return, which is significantly lower than CLH's 22.28% return. Over the past 10 years, CWST has outperformed CLH with an annualized return of 27.85%, while CLH has yielded a comparatively lower 19.12% annualized return.

CWST

• 1D: 1.22%
• 1M: -14.83%
• YTD: -18.99%
• 6M: -16.38%
• 1Y: -28.85%
• 3Y*: -1.36%
• 5Y*: 4.01%
• 10Y*: 27.85%

CLH

• 1D: 2.49%
• 1M: -2.21%
• YTD: 22.28%
• 6M: 23.47%
• 1Y: 45.47%
• 3Y*: 26.23%
• 5Y*: 27.19%
• 10Y*: 19.12%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CWST vs. CLH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CWST

CWST Risk / Return Rank: 10
CWST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
CWST Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
CWST Omega Ratio Rank: 9
CWST Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
CWST Martin Ratio Rank: 9

CLH

CLH Risk / Return Rank: 85
CLH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
CLH Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
CLH Omega Ratio Rank: 85
CLH Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
CLH Martin Ratio Rank: 85

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CWST vs. CLH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST) and Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CWST	CLH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.93	1.69	-2.63
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.23	2.24	-3.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.85	1.33	-0.48
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.75	2.34	-3.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.55	7.76	-9.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CWST vs. CLH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CWST Sharpe Ratio is -0.93, which is lower than the CLH Sharpe Ratio of 1.69. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CWST and CLH, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CWST	CLH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.93	1.69	-2.63
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.15	0.96	-0.81
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.91	0.55	+0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.09	0.26	-0.18

Correlation

The correlation between CWST and CLH is 0.24, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

CWST vs. CLH - Dividend Comparison

Neither CWST nor CLH has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

CWST vs. CLH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CWST drawdown since its inception was -98.52%, which is greater than CLH's maximum drawdown of -93.48%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CWST and CLH.

Drawdown Indicators

	CWST	CLH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.52%	-93.48%	-5.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-37.72%	-19.45%	-18.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.72%	-30.86%	-6.86%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.72%	-64.51%	+26.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-34.09%	-3.51%	-30.58%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-53.18%	-33.06%	-20.12%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	18.32%	5.85%	+12.47%

Volatility

CWST vs. CLH - Volatility Comparison

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST) has a higher volatility of 14.69% compared to Clean Harbors, Inc. (CLH) at 7.97%. This indicates that CWST's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CLH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CWST	CLH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.69%	7.97%	+6.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.61%	21.41%	+3.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.04%	26.98%	+4.06%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.14%	28.40%	-2.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.59%	34.65%	-4.06%

Financials

CWST vs. CLH - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Casella Waste Systems, Inc. and Clean Harbors, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CWST - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 469.06M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

CLH - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Clean Harbors, Inc. reported a gross profit of 458.97M and revenue of 1.50B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 30.6%.

CWST - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. reported an operating income of -4.73M and revenue of 469.06M, resulting in an operating margin of -1.0%.

CLH - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Clean Harbors, Inc. reported an operating income of 158.45M and revenue of 1.50B, resulting in an operating margin of 10.6%.

CWST - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. reported a net income of -2.51M and revenue of 469.06M, resulting in a net margin of -0.5%.

CLH - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Clean Harbors, Inc. reported a net income of 86.59M and revenue of 1.50B, resulting in a net margin of 5.8%.