Waste Management, Inc. (WM) – What Are Researchers Saying About This Stock?

Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $256.65.

A number of analysts have commented on WM shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Waste Management from $252.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce decreased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $240.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waste Management news, CAO John Carroll sold 1,365 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.90, for a total value of $300,163.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 3,509 shares in the company, valued at $771,629.10. This represents a 28.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 243.7% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. now owns 1,117 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 792 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank raised its stake in Waste Management by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 161,483 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $32,930,000 after acquiring an additional 2,122 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Waste Management by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 57,846 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $12,893,000 after acquiring an additional 2,958 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 53,766 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $11,983,000 after purchasing an additional 3,232 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its position in Waste Management by 2.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,008,931 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,013,831,000 after purchasing an additional 507,209 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waste Management Stock Down 0.6%

NYSE:WM opened at $208.76 on Tuesday. Waste Management has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $248.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $216.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $222.56.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.04. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.68% and a net margin of 11.11%. The company had revenue of $6.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.92 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Waste Management will post 8.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th were given a dividend of $0.9450 per share. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 53.54%.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan remains bullish despite a target cut. JPMorgan lowered its price target from $270 to $235 but maintained an “overweight” rating, implying potential upside from the current level. The reduction appears to reflect more cautious valuation expectations rather than a change to a negative view.
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer issued a Buy rating. The recommendation provides additional analyst support for WM and reinforces the company’s appeal as a defensive, recurring-revenue business. Waste Management Gets a Buy from Oppenheimer
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking for earnings growth. Analysts expect Waste Management to report low-double-digit profitability growth when it releases third-quarter results later this month, creating a potential catalyst if results and guidance exceed expectations. What You Need to Know Ahead of Waste Management’s Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer discussed WM as a possible long-term holding around $200. His comments may support investor interest near that level, but the television discussion does not materially change the company’s earnings outlook. Jim Cramer Explains How He Would Approach Waste Management
• Neutral Sentiment: Waste Management was highlighted as a monthly-dividend candidate. The company’s contracted trash-collection revenue supports the appeal of its dividend and defensive cash flows, although the article is not a new company-specific announcement. Monthly Dividend Stocks Article
• Negative Sentiment: CIBC also reduced its target and turned more cautious. The firm cut its target from $250 to $225 and assigned a “neutral” rating, adding to concerns that WM’s valuation and near-term upside may be more limited than previously expected.
• Negative Sentiment: Collection service was suspended in Okaloosa County ahead of Hurricane Isaias. The disruption is likely temporary, but severe weather can delay revenue collection and create incremental operating costs. Waste Management Suspends Trash Collection Ahead of Hurricane Isaias

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc, doing business as WM (NYSE: WM), is an environmental services company that provides waste collection, transfer, disposal, recycling and resource recovery services. Its customers include residential households, commercial businesses, industrial organizations and municipalities.

The company operates a network of collection operations, transfer stations, landfills, recycling facilities and waste-to-energy assets across the United States and Canada. Its services include curbside collection, dumpster and roll-off services, recycling, landfill disposal, organics management and specialized waste solutions.

Founded in 1968, WM has expanded from a traditional waste collection business into a broader provider of environmental and sustainability services.