Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Acquires 2,788 Shares of Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its stake in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 4.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,835 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,788 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $15,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in Republic Services in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Republic Services during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Republic Services during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. 57.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on RSG. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Republic Services from $242.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Argus cut shares of Republic Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Republic Services from $240.00 to $223.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $233.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Republic Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.89.

Republic Services Price Performance

Shares of RSG opened at $216.79 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $212.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $214.85. Republic Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.41 and a 52-week high of $246.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.70 billion, a PE ratio of 31.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.40.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The business services provider reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.06. Republic Services had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 18.57%. The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.58 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 7.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.625 per share. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 2nd. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Republic Services

In related news, Director Sandra M. Volpe sold 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.28, for a total value of $380,304.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 58 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,254.24. This represents a 96.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. bought 60,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $213.31 per share, with a total value of $12,947,917.00. Following the acquisition, the insider owned 110,803,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,635,597,400.42. This represents a 0.05% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 987,150 shares of company stock worth $202,366,682 over the last ninety days. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Republic Services Company Profile

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.