Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $275.00 at TD Cowen

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its target price lifted by TD Cowen from $270.00 to $275.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the business services provider’s stock. TD Cowen’s price target points to a potential upside of 17.93% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on WM. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Friday, March 13th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $255.67.

Waste Management Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of WM stock traded up $2.88 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $233.19. 3,188,207 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,192,869. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $248.13. 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 company’s 50-day moving average price is $232.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $222.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.54.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.29 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Waste Management will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 7,352 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.50, for a total value of $1,724,044.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,644,130. This represents a 32.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total transaction of $4,171,464.31. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 44,146 shares in the company, valued at $10,674,944.26. The trade was a 28.10% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 98,042 shares of company stock worth $23,039,777 in the last three months. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WM. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 101.5% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. RHL Group LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 55.3% during the fourth quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and margin expansion — WM reported $1.81 EPS (above consensus) while operating EBITDA and margins improved on pricing, cost cuts and sustainability initiatives. BusinessWire Q1 Release
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $270 and keeps an “overweight” rating — a sizable upside signal that likely supported buying interest. Barclays PT Raise (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its target to $240 (sector perform), adding incremental analyst support. RBC PT Raise (TickerReport)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued FY‑2026 revenue guidance of $26.4B–$26.6B, roughly in line with consensus — guidance confirms stability but didn’t provide a clear upside surprise. Guidance (BusinessWire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage commentary and longer-form pieces highlight WM’s durable cash generation and compounding characteristics — supportive for longer‑term holders but less relevant for near‑term price moves. Seeking Alpha analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed Street expectations and collection volumes fell — the topline shortfall and softer volumes are headwinds that cap upside if the trend persists. Earnings and Revenue Coverage (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Some analyst adjustments were mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its PT slightly (to $268) even while keeping an overweight stance, reflecting differing views on sustainability of margin gains vs. volume pressures. Wells Fargo PT Move (Benzinga)

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.