Latest news with #SKSS
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Proposed Barduar satellite township sparks uproar, Rabha groups protest ‘land takeover'
Guwahati: The proposed 1500-acre Barduar satellite township development in Kamrup district's Palasbari revenue circle is facing opposition from Rabha organisations and indigenous community groups. The area, comprising tea gardens, paddy fields, wetlands and forests near the Meghalaya hills, has become a point of contention among its residents. Following the chief minister's office announcement about Himanta Biswa Sarma's review of urban infrastructure projects valued at USD 1 billion with GMDA and DoHUA officials, the All Rabha Students' Union (Arsu) raised objections. Despite heavy rainfall, hundreds of locals, along with Sangrami Krishak Sramik Sangha (SKSS), staged a protest march in Mirza on Wednesday, culminating at the Palasbari revenue circle office. Arsu's Kamrup district committee presented their grievances to the district commissioner through a memorandum, seeking land pattas for indigenous tribal families in Barduar tea estate's revenue villages 1, 2, and 3. Arsu Kamrup district secretary Ashok Nongbag said, "The message of establishing a satellite township in Barduar has sparked panic among the indigenous population in the Barduar area and surrounding villages. This project hampers the movement of the Rabhas for achieving its prime goal of enlisting the Rabha inhabited areas in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for greater autonomy, besides posing a negative impact on the socio-economic, daily livelihood, language, culture, and traditions of the indigenous communities in the Barduar area." The memorandum highlighted that approximately 2,100 families could face displacement from the proposed township. SKSS leader Dinesh Das advocated for prioritising land rights for riots and landless peasant families. The groups demanded title certificates under the Forest Rights Act 2006 for indigenous tribal families residing in Barduar's forest areas. Records show that Barduar was a significant kingdom in 16th-century Kamrup district under Rabha rule. Arsu cited Mirza Nathan's Baharistan-I-Ghaibi, documenting Barduar's prominence until Batuwa kings' reign. Tea cultivation began in 1861 under British rule, without proper land settlements for indigenous inhabitants. The memorandum read, "In 1922, the British govt handed over a vast area in Barduar to Tea & Timber Company without giving land rights to the indigenous families living in the same area." The protesters vowed to continue their opposition, reminiscent of their past resistance to NDRF training camps and metropolitan expansion proposals in this tribal-protected region.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CLH Q1 Earnings Call: Clean Harbors Delivers In-Line Revenue and Margin Pressures Amid Segment Shifts
Environmental and industrial services company Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) met Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales up 4% year on year to $1.43 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.09 per share was 3.3% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy CLH? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.43 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.44 billion (4% year-on-year growth, in line) Adjusted EPS: $1.09 vs analyst estimates of $1.05 (3.3% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $234.9 million vs analyst estimates of $232.6 million (16.4% margin, 1% beat) EBITDA guidance for the full year is $1.18 billion at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: 7.8%, down from 9.1% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow was -$115.7 million compared to -$118.4 million in the same quarter last year Organic Revenue rose 2.6% year on year, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $12.26 billion Clean Harbors' first quarter results reflected stable demand in its core Environmental Services segment and deliberate pricing strategies in its Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions business. Management attributed performance to strong incineration utilization and pricing, ongoing contributions from recent acquisitions, and outperformance in used oil collection, despite weather-related disruptions and continued headwinds in industrial services. Co-CEO Eric Gerstenberg stated, 'Our ES segment began the year with an encouraging first quarter that included a strong contribution in March after a period of unfavorable weather in January.' Looking ahead, Clean Harbors maintained its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance, emphasizing steady demand in disposal services, continued ramp-up of the Kimball incinerator, and an expanding pipeline in PFAS remediation. Management remains cautious on industrial services but cited reshoring trends, regulatory momentum, and proactive cost controls as factors supporting the outlook. CFO Eric Dugas reiterated, 'We continue to expect demand environment and our pricing initiatives to support our anticipated profitable growth this year.' Management's remarks during the earnings call centered on segment-level drivers, pricing actions, and operational investments that shaped quarterly results. The company addressed weather-related headwinds, segment performance divergence, and updates on capacity expansion and regulatory dynamics. Incineration Utilization and Pricing: Clean Harbors achieved an 88% incineration utilization rate, excluding the new Kimball facility, and implemented mid-single-digit price increases. Management credited this to robust demand, capacity investments, and the successful ramp-up of the Kimball incinerator, which processed 5,000 tons in its first quarter of operation. Safety-Kleen Pricing Shift: In Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS), the company doubled its average charge for used oil collection since year-end by shifting to a charge-for-oil (CFO) model. This offset continued weakness in base oil prices and helped maintain volumes despite challenging market conditions. PFAS Pipeline Momentum: Management highlighted a growing pipeline for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) remediation, supported by recent EPA policy updates and ongoing regulatory developments. The company expects its incineration study results, relevant to PFAS disposal, to be published in the coming quarter. Industrial Services Weakness: Revenue in industrial services declined 10% year over year, attributed to refinery customers deferring maintenance and spending. Management noted that while some weather effects were temporary, broader refinery cost pressures persisted. Acquisition and Network Expansion: The HEPACO acquisition and the opening of new field service branches contributed to growth in field services, with 32% growth in this area. The company is also developing new processing hubs, such as the recently acquired Phoenix site, to further expand capacity. Clean Harbors' outlook for the remainder of the year is driven by expected growth in disposal and recycling services, continued ramp-up of new capacity, and evolving regulatory and market trends, with management balancing optimism about secular growth drivers against caution in more cyclical segments. Kimball Incinerator Ramp-Up: The Kimball facility is expected to process over 28,000 tons this year, contributing to higher network utilization and enabling growth in technical services and PFAS disposal. Regulatory Tailwinds and PFAS: Anticipated EPA and Department of Defense guidance on PFAS destruction is expected to boost demand for Clean Harbors' hazardous waste solutions, particularly as environmental standards tighten. Industrial Services Recovery Uncertainty: Management remains cautious on the timing of an industrial services rebound, with recovery hinging on refinery maintenance cycles and broader economic conditions. The segment is expected to lag the rest of the business in the near term. Tyler Brown (Raymond James): Asked about the extent of weather-related volume loss and whether it could be recovered in future quarters; management said some revenue is likely lost forever, though March and April showed improvement. Noah Kaye (Oppenheimer): Inquired about the PFAS remediation pipeline and the impact of new EPA guidance; management expects continued double-digit growth in PFAS-related revenue and views regulatory momentum as a long-term opportunity. James Schumm (TD Cowen): Pressed on base oil pricing weakness and SKSS inventory management; management explained aggressive pricing actions in used oil collection are offsetting lower base oil prices, and inventory costs are lower entering Q2. Larry Solow (CJS Securities): Questioned the resilience of Clean Harbors' business in a potential economic slowdown; management described most segments as 'recession resistant' due to the essential nature of environmental services. Adam Bubes (Goldman Sachs): Asked about organic growth cadence in Environmental Services and the impact of new field service branches; management expects organic growth to accelerate as weather normalizes and new capacity comes online. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will be monitoring (1) the scaling of the Kimball incinerator and whether it meets or exceeds planned throughput targets, (2) regulatory and customer activity around PFAS remediation following anticipated publication of Clean Harbors' incineration study, and (3) signs of stabilization or recovery in industrial services as refinery maintenance cycles evolve. Expansion of new processing hubs and field services branches will also be tracked as potential drivers of incremental growth. Clean Harbors currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 28.8×. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our free research report. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). 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Business Wire
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Clean Harbors Announces First-Quarter 2025 Financial Results
NORWELL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clean Harbors, Inc. ('Clean Harbors' or the 'Company') (NYSE: CLH), the leading provider of environmental and industrial services throughout North America, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. 'We began 2025 with a solid, first-quarter performance as our Environmental Services (ES) segment closed Q1 with a strong March helping to overcome unfavorable weather impacts early in the quarter and results in our Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) segment exceeded our expectations,' said Mike Battles, Co-Chief Executive Officer. 'Demand trends for our disposal and recycling assets were very strong in the quarter. In addition, we posted the best quarterly safety results in our history, registering a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.46. Our employees have done a great job continuing to embrace our safety culture and our 'Safety Starts with Me' philosophy.' First-Quarter 2025 Results Revenues grew 4% to $1.43 billion, compared with $1.38 billion in the same period of 2024. Income from operations was $111.6 million, compared with $125.5 million in the first quarter of 2024 due to higher depreciation and amortization resulting from acquisitions and the new Kimball incinerator. Net income was $58.7 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, compared with $69.8 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, for the same period in 2024. Adjusted EBITDA (see description and reconciliation below) was $234.9 million, compared with $230.1 million in the same period of 2024. Q1 2025 Segment Review 'Despite unfavorable weather early in the quarter that disrupted multiple businesses, our ES segment achieved 4% growth in Adjusted EBITDA and 3% growth in revenue,' said Eric Gerstenberg, Co-Chief Executive Officer. 'Top-line growth in the segment was led by our Field Services operations, which increased 32% from the prior-year period, reflecting the HEPACO acquisition. Technical Services revenue grew 5% on strength of volumes and pricing in our network. Incineration utilization, excluding the new Kimball incinerator, was an impressive 88% vs. 79% in the year-ago period. Average incineration price rose more than 5% on a mix-adjusted basis. Safety-Kleen Environmental Services continued its growth trajectory with a 5% revenue increase in the ES segment. The growth in those businesses more than offset a downturn in our Industrial Services business, which declined 10% as some refinery customers continued to delay spending and maintenance compared to the prior-year period.' 'Results in our SKSS segment reflected our efforts to combat the ongoing weak demand and pricing environment in the U.S. base oil and lubricants market by reducing our used oil collection costs. We increased customer charges for collection services, while continuing to gather the volumes needed for our production goals,' said Battles. 'Segment revenues increased 9% on greater volumes sold, reflecting our 2024 acquisition of Noble Oil and the shift to higher charge-for-oil (CFO) pricing. These factors, combined with cost-cutting efforts, helped offset a softer commodity price environment year over year, resulting in higher-than-anticipated profitability in SKSS.' Business Outlook and Financial Guidance 'As we look ahead, we remain optimistic about our overall prospects for 2025,' Gerstenberg said. 'While we achieved Q1 results ahead of our initial guidance, we recognize that we are operating in a period of uncertainty regarding U.S. policies on trade and tariffs, and the larger implications for the overall economy. We have taken steps around pricing to offset the additional costs we anticipate from tariffs and have not seen a reduction in demand for our core services. As a result, we are maintaining our Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow guidance.' Battles concluded, 'Our confidence in hitting our targets stems from the array of tailwinds we see that should drive our business this year and beyond, including demand for disposal and other services, the ramp-up of our new Kimball incinerator, the expansion of our Field Services business through HEPACO, the emerging PFAS market opportunity and our current pipeline of remediation and waste projects. For SKSS, our focus will remain on actively managing our collection costs and overall expenses, while advancing initiatives like our Castrol partnership and Group III production.' In the second quarter of 2025, Clean Harbors expects Adjusted EBITDA to grow 1-3% compared with the prior year, with 3-5% growth in the ES segment and lower expense in the Corporate segment more than offsetting an expected year-over-year decline in SKSS. For full-year 2025, Clean Harbors is reiterating its prior guidance and continues to expect: Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $1.15 billion to $1.21 billion, or a midpoint of $1.18 billion, which represents 6% growth year over year. This Adjusted EBITDA range is based on anticipated GAAP net income in the range of $377 million to $428 million. Adjusted free cash flow in the range of $430 million to $490 million, or a midpoint of $460 million, which represents a nearly 30% increase from prior year. This range is based on anticipated net cash from operating activities in the range of $775 million to $865 million. Non-GAAP Results Clean Harbors reports Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered an alternative to net income or other measurements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) but viewed only as a supplement to those measurements. Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company's measurement of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Clean Harbors believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to investors because the Company's management routinely evaluates the performance of its businesses based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as described in the following reconciliation showing the differences between reported GAAP net income and Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands, except percentages): Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation Clean Harbors reports adjusted free cash flow, a non-GAAP measure, which it considers to be a measurement of liquidity that provides useful information to investors about its ability to generate cash. The Company defines adjusted free cash flow as net cash from operating activities less additions to property, plant and equipment plus proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets. When necessary, the Company adjusts for the cash impact of items derived from non-operating activities. Adjusted free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash from operating activities or other measurements under GAAP. Adjusted free cash flow is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company's measurement of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. An itemized reconciliation between reported GAAP net cash from operating activities and adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in thousands): Adjusted EBITDA Guidance Reconciliation An itemized reconciliation between projected GAAP net income and projected Adjusted EBITDA is as follows (in millions): Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance Reconciliation An itemized reconciliation between projected GAAP net cash from operating activities and projected adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in millions). The Company excludes significant one-time growth investments, which the Company expects to realize future long-term benefits from, as they are not indicative of free cash flow generation for the current period. Conference Call Information Clean Harbors will conduct a conference call for investors today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the information contained in this press release. During the call, management will discuss Clean Harbors' financial results, business outlook and growth strategy. Investors who wish to listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slides should visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at The live call also can be accessed by dialing 877.709.8155 or 201.689.8881 prior to the start time. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, the webcast will be archived on the Company's website. About Clean Harbors Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) is North America's leading provider of environmental and industrial services. The Company serves a diverse customer base, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies. Its customer base spans a number of industries, including chemical, manufacturing and refining, as well as numerous government agencies. These customers rely on Clean Harbors to deliver a broad range of services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services. Through its Safety-Kleen subsidiary, Clean Harbors also is a leading provider of parts washers and environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers, as well as North America's largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil. Founded in 1980 and based in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. For more information, visit Safe Harbor Statement Any statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words 'believes,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'anticipates,' 'plans to,' 'seeks,' 'will,' 'should,' 'estimates,' 'projects,' 'may,' 'likely,' 'potential,' 'outlook' or similar expressions. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company's future financial and operating results, plans, strategy, objectives and goals, cost management initiatives, pricing and productivity initiatives, contingent liabilities, liquidity, business and market conditions, trends, customer demand, acquisitions, growth opportunities, expectations, challenges and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the beliefs and expectations of Clean Harbors' management as of the date of this press release only and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, those items identified as 'Risk Factors' in Clean Harbors' most recently filed reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Clean Harbors undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements other than through its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed in the 'Investors' section of Clean Harbors' website at CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) March 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 Current assets: (unaudited) Cash and cash equivalents $ 489,417 $ 687,192 Short-term marketable securities 105,895 102,634 Accounts receivable, net 1,077,510 1,015,357 Unbilled accounts receivable 171,089 162,215 Inventories and supplies 376,024 384,657 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 90,747 81,741 Total current assets 2,310,682 2,433,796 Property, plant and equipment, net 2,463,620 2,447,941 Other assets: Operating lease right-of-use assets 247,414 250,853 Goodwill 1,477,307 1,477,199 Permits and other intangibles, net 688,957 701,987 Other long-term assets 58,407 65,502 Total other assets 2,472,085 2,495,541 Total assets $ 7,246,387 $ 7,377,278 Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt $ 15,102 $ 15,102 Accounts payable 443,654 487,286 Deferred revenue 96,171 88,545 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 325,759 419,445 Current portion of closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities 23,792 20,625 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 71,865 71,663 Total current liabilities 976,343 1,102,666 Other liabilities: Closure and post-closure liabilities, less current portion 121,221 119,484 Remedial liabilities, less current portion 89,031 101,424 Long-term debt, less current portion 2,768,815 2,771,117 Operating lease liabilities, less current portion 179,454 182,883 Deferred tax liabilities 360,404 363,623 Other long-term liabilities 179,895 162,552 Total other liabilities 3,698,820 3,701,083 Total stockholders' equity, net 2,571,224 2,573,529 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 7,246,387 $ 7,377,278 Expand CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 March 31, 2024 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 58,680 $ 69,832 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 111,980 95,065 Allowance for doubtful accounts 2,825 1,728 Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount 1,666 1,329 Accretion of environmental liabilities 3,620 3,217 Changes in environmental liability estimates (9,863 ) 917 Deferred income taxes — (88 ) Other expense, net 932 1,141 Stock-based compensation 7,635 6,338 Environmental expenditures (2,591 ) (4,729 ) Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Accounts receivable and unbilled accounts receivable (74,576 ) (44,383 ) Inventories and supplies 8,670 (13,572 ) Other current and long-term assets (6,983 ) (25,918 ) Accounts payable (10,989 ) (17,358 ) Other current and long-term liabilities (89,401 ) (54,970 ) Net cash from operating activities 1,605 18,549 Cash flows used in investing activities: Additions to property, plant and equipment (118,695 ) (137,913 ) Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets 1,343 1,008 Acquisitions, net of cash acquired — (475,306 ) Proceeds from sale of business — 750 Additions to intangible assets including costs to obtain or renew permits (248 ) (534 ) Purchases of available-for-sale securities (24,186 ) (31,228 ) Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities 21,456 33,350 Net cash used in investing activities (120,330 ) (609,873 ) Cash flows (used in) from financing activities: Change in uncashed checks (1,714 ) 7,778 Tax payments related to withholdings on vested restricted stock (8,688 ) (3,052 ) Repurchases of common stock (55,000 ) (5,000 ) Deferred financing costs paid — (4,641 ) Payments on finance leases (10,081 ) (4,665 ) Principal payments on debt (3,776 ) (3,776 ) Proceeds from issuance of debt, net of discount — 499,375 Net cash (used in) from financing activities (79,259 ) 486,019 Effect of exchange rate change on cash 209 (1,568 ) Decrease in cash and cash equivalents (197,775 ) (106,873 ) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 687,192 444,698 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 489,417 $ 337,825 Expand Supplemental information: Cash payments for interest and income taxes: Interest paid $ 56,671 $ 51,243 Income taxes paid, net of refunds 9,280 8,020 Non-cash investing activities: Property, plant and equipment accrued 12,462 28,266 ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities 15,638 23,101 ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities 27,181 14,519 Expand Supplemental Segment Data (in thousands) Three Months Ended Adjusted EBITDA March 31, 2025 March 31, 2024 Environmental Services $ 274,591 $ 264,475 Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions 28,252 29,700 Corporate (67,989 ) (64,080 ) Total $ 234,854 $ 230,095 Expand
