Brokerages Set Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) Target Price at $251.10

Shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $250.6364.

A number of research firms have weighed in on RSG. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Republic Services from $280.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Republic Services from $260.00 to $233.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. UBS Group reduced their price target on Republic Services from $260.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Republic Services from $257.00 to $251.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Republic Services in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $238.00 target price for the company.

Insider Activity at Republic Services

In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 478 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $209.46 per share, for a total transaction of $100,121.88. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 5,740 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,202,300.40. This trade represents a 9.08% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Republic Services

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RSG. Ignite Planners LLC grew its stake in Republic Services by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 1,562 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. L2 Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Republic Services by 5.0% during the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 908 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Gries Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Republic Services by 3.8% in the second quarter. Gries Financial LLC now owns 1,249 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $308,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Republic Services by 17.8% during the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 305 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ANB Bank raised its position in shares of Republic Services by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. ANB Bank now owns 1,691 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $388,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Services Trading Up 0.1%

Republic Services stock opened at $213.04 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $213.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $228.06. The company has a market capitalization of $65.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.54. Republic Services has a 52 week low of $199.43 and a 52 week high of $258.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.12. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The company had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.25 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. Republic Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Republic Services will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio is 37.20%.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.