First Trust Advisors LP Lowers Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

First Trust Advisors LP decreased its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 45.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 298,653 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 253,430 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned approximately 0.07% of Waste Management worth $65,952,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WM. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Waste Management by 101.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in shares of Waste Management in the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the third quarter worth $41,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 47.0% during the 3rd 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. 80.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total transaction of $4,171,464.31. Following the sale, the vice president owned 44,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,674,944.26. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, COO John J. Morris sold 4,211 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.38, for a total transaction of $1,024,873.18. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 99,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,320,720.02. This trade represents a 4.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 98,042 shares of company stock valued at $23,039,777 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Trading Down 4.6%

Shares of WM stock opened at $235.21 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.57. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $248.13. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $228.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $220.05.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 49.25%.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78), a meaningful boost vs. the prior payout that supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. Dividend Increases Article
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Wall Street firms have recently raised price targets and reiterated buy/outperform views (Stifel, TD Cowen, Bernstein, Oppenheimer), leaving consensus target above the current price and providing analyst-driven support. MarketBeat Analyst Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/retail momentum signals: IBD upgraded Waste Management’s Relative Strength rating and the stock is featured positively in a Motley Fool piece, which can attract momentum and retail buying. IBD Upgrade / Yahoo Motley Fool
• Neutral Sentiment: Company executives (CEO, EVP engineering) are participating in industry events (Waste Management 2026) discussing advanced waste solutions — positive for long-term positioning but not an immediate stock mover. Conference / GlobeNewswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recap/analyst consensus remains constructive (moderate buy, avg. target ~ $253.55) and institutional ownership is high; these are steadying factors but not immediate catalysts. MarketBeat Consensus
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: COO John Morris disclosed large sales (7,979 shares / prior filings show additional sales), and several other senior officers reported smaller disposals — large insider exits can spook investors and weigh on intraday price. InsiderTrades Alert American Banking News
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results slightly missed consensus (EPS $1.93 vs. $1.95; revenue $6.31B vs. $6.39B), which can amplify short-term selling pressure when combined with insider sales. Earnings Recap
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary and headlines note a larger-than-market drop today, a reflection of the net effect of these negative signals outweighing positives in the near term. Zacks Drop Report

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WM. Barclays cut their price target on Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings raised Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.55.

About Waste Management

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.