Visualize Group LP Has $30.06 Million Stake in Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

Visualize Group LP increased its holdings in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 86.1% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 137,265 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 63,500 shares during the quarter. Republic Services accounts for about 12.4% of Visualize Group LP’s holdings, making the stock its biggest position. Visualize Group LP’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $30,064,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Republic Services Trading Down 0.1%

RSG opened at $216.79 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $212.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $214.86. Republic Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $196.41 and a 1-year high of $246.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $66.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 0.40.

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

Republic Services Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. bought 366,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $202.24 per share, with a total value of $74,019,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 110,315,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,310,304,199.68. This represents a 0.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Sandra M. Volpe sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.28, for a total transaction of $380,304.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 58 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,254.24. This represents a 96.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought 987,150 shares of company stock worth $202,366,682 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup upped their target price on Republic Services from $247.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. 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 research report on Thursday, April 16th. Barclays upped their price target on Republic Services from $227.00 to $233.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $249.00 price objective on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Republic Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Republic Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.89.

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.