Analysts Set Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) Target Price at $208.37

Shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the twenty-five brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation, sixteen have given a buy recommendation and five have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $208.3684.

WCN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group set a $195.00 target price on shares of Waste Connections and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Waste Connections in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. National Bankshares dropped their target price on Waste Connections from $211.00 to $196.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Waste Connections from $205.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd.

Insider Activity at Waste Connections

In other Waste Connections news, Director Edward E. Guillet sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.44, for a total value of $1,569,960.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 14,883 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,596,190.52. The trade was a 37.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Connections

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WCN. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Connections during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in Waste Connections during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Waste Connections during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in Waste Connections by 555.2% during the 3rd quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 190 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Connections in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 86.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waste Connections Stock Performance

NYSE:WCN opened at $177.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. Waste Connections has a fifty-two week low of $163.27 and a fifty-two week high of $201.66. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $172.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $178.64. The company has a market capitalization of $45.41 billion, a PE ratio of 73.99, a P/E/G ratio of 3.51 and a beta of 0.62.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The business services provider reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.06. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.07% and a net margin of 6.65%.The firm had revenue of $2.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.35 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Waste Connections will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Connections Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 5th were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 5th. This is an increase from Waste Connections’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Waste Connections’s payout ratio is 58.33%.

Waste Connections Company Profile

Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company’s operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.