Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Clean Harbors, Inc. (NYSE:CLH). The company's stock saw a significant share price rise of 22% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. The company's trading levels have reached its high for the past year, following the recent bounce in the share price. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company's outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Let's examine Clean Harbors's valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there's still a bargain opportunity.

What's The Opportunity In Clean Harbors?

According to our valuation model, Clean Harbors seems to be fairly priced at around 19% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Clean Harbors today, you'd be paying a fair price for it. And if you believe the company's true value is $243.94, then there's not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Clean Harbors's share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Clean Harbors look like?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it's the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Clean Harbors' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 50%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? CLH's optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we haven't considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping an eye on CLH, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Clean Harbors.

If you are no longer interested in Clean Harbors, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.