CLH vs VLO vs IRM Stock Comparison

Clean Harbors, Valero Energy and Iron Mountain Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
CLH Clean Harbors Inc
$316.96 +1.2% 1M +29.2% 1Y
Market cap
$16.49B
P/E
37.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$6.24B
Div. yield
–
Hazardous Waste Industrials
5 wins
VLO Valero Energy Corp/Tx
$426.63 +10.2% 1M +149.4% 1Y
Market cap
$113.75B
P/E
8.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$153.33B
Div. yield
–
Oil Refining Energy
6 wins
IRM Iron Mountain Inc
$113.08 +1.5% 1M +7.5% 1Y
Market cap
$34.31B
P/E
82.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$7.56B
Div. yield
0.03%
Facility Services Industrials

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Valero Energy leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Valero Energy 6, Clean Harbors 5). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionCLHVLOIRMLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $16.49B $113.75B $34.31B VLO
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 37.6x 8.8x 82.0x VLO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 30.8x 7.6x 48.7x VLO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +5.1% +24.6% +17.4% VLO
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 7.0% — 5.5% CLH
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 9.7% — 7.6% CLH
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.9x — 6.7x CLH
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.03% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +29.2% +149.4% +7.5% VLO
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +23.2%/yr +40.3%/yr +19.9%/yr VLO
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 27.9% 37.6% 33.3% CLH
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 70/100 40/100 47/100 CLH

Percentile Scorecard

CLHVLOIRM

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisCLHVLOIRM
Valuation 60 #7 of 16 18 #19 of 23 21 #89 of 112
Growth 62 #6 of 14 94 #2 of 19 90 #11 of 96
Profitability 85 #3 of 14 – 64 #33 of 91
Financial Health 73 #5 of 16 – 8 #115 of 125
Shareholder Returns – 6 #17 of 18 50 #34 of 67
Overall 70 40 47
  • CLH ranked among 16 companies in Waste Management
  • VLO ranked among 25 companies in Refining and Marketing
  • IRM ranked among 130 companies in Business Services

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodCLHVLOIRMSPY
1 month +1.2%+10.2%+1.5% -0.8%
3 months +5.1%+39.9%-10.9% +3.5%
6 months +3.1%+79.1%+0.3% +7.0%
Year to date +35.2%+162.1%+36.3% +12.2%
1 year +29.2%+149.4%+7.5% +13.0%
3 years +109.9%+245.3%+94.2% +86.3%
3 years, per year +28.1%+51.2%+24.8% +23.1%
5 years +183.9%+442.3%+147.7% +68.6%
5 years, per year +23.2%+40.3%+19.9% +11.0%
10 years +588.7%+616.8%+232.5% +258.0%
10 years, per year +21.3%+21.8%+12.8% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureCLHVLOIRMSPY
Volatility, 1Y 27.9%37.6%33.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 31.1%34.5%34.4% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.27-0.381.16 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.053.970.22 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -30.9%-42.9%-40.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -3.1%-7.2%-15.0% -1.8%
52-week high $327.10$459.67$133.06 $779.14
52-week low $201.73$161.94$78.86 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleCLHVLOIRM
P/E now vs peer median 38.1xmedian 34.0x 9.7xmedian 9.5x 80.4xmedian 21.9x
P/S now vs peer median 2.7xmedian 3.4x 0.8xmedian 0.3x 4.5xmedian 0.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.8xmedian 15.3x —median 7.3x 20.0xmedian 12.2x
P/FCF now vs peer median 36.2xmedian 18.5x 11.1xmedian 9.5x -68.6xmedian 14.3x
P/B now vs peer median 5.7xmedian 3.0x 4.0xmedian 1.9x -26.3xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median 10.72median 3.42 0.77median 0.35 30.78median 1.02

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsCLHVLOIRM
Revenue $6.24B $153.33B $7.56B
Gross profit $2.01B – $4.10B
Operating income $739.29M $17.58B $1.42B
Net income $439.05M – $434.46M
Free cash flow $461.72M – -$490.92M
EPS (diluted) $8.29 $44.03 $1.40
Cash & equivalents $408.36M – $204.79M
Total debt $2.77B – $17.35B
Shares (diluted) 52.96M 294.00M 299.85M
Enterprise value $13.50B $113.75B $33.50B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricCLHVLOIRM
P/E 38.1x 9.7x 80.4x
P/FCF 36.2x 11.1x -68.6x
P/Operating cash flow 18.5x – 20.3x
P/S 2.7x 0.8x 4.5x
P/B 5.7x 4.0x -26.3x
P/Tangible book 7.7x 4.0x -13.4x
EV/EBITDA 15.8x – 20.0x
EV/EBIT 25.7x – 35.8x
EV/Revenue 3.0x 0.8x 6.7x
EV/FCF 41.1x – -103.5x
EV/Operating cash flow 21.0x – 30.7x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 10.72 0.77 30.78

Growth

14 metrics
MetricCLHVLOIRM
Revenue growth (1Y) 5.1% 24.6% 17.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 5.3% 0.5% 13.0%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 10.2% – 13.5%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 6.5% – 11.1%
Operating income growth (1Y) 13.5% 799.4% 35.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 4.5% 6.4% 12.8%
Net income growth (1Y) 14.1% – 867.3%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 2.6% – 4.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 15.9% 810.1% 897.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 3.6% 12.7% 2.6%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 19.9% – 31.7%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 7.3% – 17.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 20.0% – 50.3%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 12.0% – -60.8%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricCLHVLOIRM
Gross margin 32.3% – 54.2%
EBITDA margin 19.2% – 33.6%
Operating margin 11.8% – 18.8%
Pretax margin 9.6% – 6.7%
Net margin 7.0% – 5.5%
FCF margin 7.4% – -6.5%
Operating cash flow margin 14.5% – 21.9%
Return on equity 15.4% 45.7% –
Return on assets 5.7% – 2.0%
Return on invested capital 9.7% – 7.6%
Return on capital employed 11.3% – 7.5%
Asset turnover 0.8x – 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.1x – 3.8x
Stock comp / revenue 0.7% – 1.8%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricCLHVLOIRM
Debt / assets 35.4% – 79.0%
Debt / equity 0.9x – -13.5x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.9x – 6.7x
Debt / FCF 6.0x – -35.3x
Liabilities / assets 62.6% – 105.8%
Equity / assets 37.4% – -5.8%
Interest coverage – – –
Current ratio 2.1x 1.7x 0.7x
Quick ratio 1.7x – 0.6x
Cash ratio 0.4x – 0.1x
Altman Z-score 3.89 – 1.75

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricCLHVLOIRM
Dividend yield – 1.1% 3.0%
Net buyback yield 1.4% – –
Shareholder yield 1.4% 1.1% 3.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 229.5%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – -203.1%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 16.5%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 11.1%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusCLHVLOIRM
Forward P/E 30.8xFY2026 7.6xFY2026 48.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $10.29FY2026 $55.81FY2026 $2.32FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +41.3%FY2026 +426.0%FY2026 +9.4%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +5.3% -8.8% +28.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $6.28BFY2026 $174.96BFY2026 $8.36BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +4.1%FY2026 +42.6%FY2026 +21.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +15.7% -21.5% +2.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersCLHVLOIRM
Held by institutions 93.5% 83.6% 86.2%
Institutions holding 658 1,967 1,161
Change in shares held, QoQ 0.0% -1.5% +1.9%
Institutions buying 306 950 598
Institutions selling 246 709 377
Buyers to sellers 1.24 1.34 1.59

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

CLHVLOIRM
CLH 1.00 0.11 0.19
VLO 0.11 1.00 0.03
IRM 0.19 0.03 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, CLH, VLO and IRM?

Valero Energy (VLO) is the largest by market capitalisation: Clean Harbors (CLH) $16.49B, Valero Energy (VLO) $113.75B, Iron Mountain (IRM) $34.31B.

Which stock is cheaper, CLH, VLO and IRM?

Valero Energy (VLO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Clean Harbors (CLH) 37.6x, Valero Energy (VLO) 8.8x, Iron Mountain (IRM) 82.0x). On next year's consensus earnings, Valero Energy (VLO) is cheapest (Clean Harbors (CLH) 30.8x, Valero Energy (VLO) 7.6x, Iron Mountain (IRM) 48.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Valero Energy (VLO) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Clean Harbors (CLH) +5.1%, Valero Energy (VLO) +24.6%, Iron Mountain (IRM) +17.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Clean Harbors (CLH) has the highest net margin (Clean Harbors (CLH) 7.0%, Iron Mountain (IRM) 5.5%). On return on invested capital, Clean Harbors (CLH) leads (Clean Harbors (CLH) 9.7%, Iron Mountain (IRM) 7.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Valero Energy (VLO) returned the most: Clean Harbors (CLH) +29.2%, Valero Energy (VLO) +149.4%, Iron Mountain (IRM) +7.5%. Over five years, Valero Energy (VLO) compounded fastest (Clean Harbors (CLH) +23.2%/yr, Valero Energy (VLO) +40.3%/yr, Iron Mountain (IRM) +19.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Clean Harbors (CLH) 0.00%, Valero Energy (VLO) 0.00%, Iron Mountain (IRM) 0.03%. Clean Harbors (CLH) and Valero Energy (VLO) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Clean Harbors (CLH) has been the steadiest (Clean Harbors (CLH) 27.9%, Valero Energy (VLO) 37.6%, Iron Mountain (IRM) 33.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, CLH, VLO and IRM?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Valero Energy (VLO) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.