Waste Management, Inc. $WM Shares Purchased by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 23.8% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 33,808 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $7,466,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of WM. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the 2nd quarter valued at about $40,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in Waste Management during the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 47.0% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 244 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gladwyn Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter worth $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

Here are the key news stories impacting Waste Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders noted a Power Inflow (order-flow) signal that flashed at about $222.60 and preceded an intraday high, a short-term bullish technical cue that can attract momentum buyers. Waste Management Shares Hit Intraday High After Key Trading Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Credit and balance-sheet analysis argues WM can manage its elevated debt load responsibly, which reduces investor concern about leverage and supports the stock’s valuation. Here’s Why Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Can Manage Its Debt Responsibly
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term industry research projects strong secular growth in the global waste management market through 2033, a tailwind for WM’s revenue growth outlook and investor sentiment toward the sector. Waste Management Market Poised to Surge to a Stunning US$ 2.30 Trillion by 2033
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating but trimmed its price target slightly to $250, signaling modestly less upside but no change in stance. Scotiabank rating note
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays kept an Overweight rating but nudged its target from $266 to $265, a small adjustment that still implies meaningful upside vs. current levels. Barclays price target note
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/company roundups and analyst commentaries (MSN, The Globe & Mail) are circulating but offer mixed, mostly descriptive takes rather than new catalyst-driven guidance. Waste management stocks Q3 recap Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns WM may lack the setup for an earnings beat in the next report, flagging a potential risk that an earnings or revenue miss could pressure the stock near-term. Waste Management (WM) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial set a $260.00 price target on Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Waste Management from $252.00 to $236.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.23.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of Waste Management stock opened at $226.33 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.84. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $216.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $219.14. The company has a market cap of $91.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.59. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $194.11 and a one year high of $242.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 10.35%.The company had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is presently 51.97%.

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc (NYSE: WM) is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.