Quantbot Technologies LP Sells 22,919 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Quantbot Technologies LP trimmed its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 55.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,555 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 22,919 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $4,098,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 101.5% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 47.0% during the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 244 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on WM. Scotiabank reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings raised Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Waste Management has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broader market/industry tailwind — a report highlights long-term growth in the healthcare waste-management market, which supports demand for regulated waste services and can benefit large, diversified providers like WM. Healthcare Waste Management Market Size
• Positive Sentiment: Price momentum since earnings — investor notes point out WM has rallied since its last quarterly report, prompting discussion of whether that momentum can continue (supports short-term buying interest). Zacks: WM Up Since Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance debate — a Barchart piece notes WM has lagged the S&P 500 over the past year but reports analysts remain moderately optimistic; this frames the stock as undervalued by some and fairly valued by others. Is WM Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer activity — news of contract wins at smaller regional waste/cleaning firms highlights steady demand in services markets but has limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals. Primech Contract Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CAO John A. Carroll sold 37 shares (small dollar amount) in a disclosed SEC filing; while the size is minor, insider sales can create short-term sentiment pressure. CAO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CFO David L. Reed also sold 37 shares (disclosed in SEC filing); again small in size but contributes to the narrative of insider trimming. CFO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional reduction — Aster Capital significantly trimmed its WM stake (reported reduction), a data point that can amplify selling pressure from funds rebalancing. Aster Capital Reduces Position
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique — analysis on Seeking Alpha calls WM a reliable dividend name but argues the stock trades at a premium, highlighting valuation as a potential restraint on further multiple expansion. Seeking Alpha: Dividend Darling, But Premium Stinks

Waste Management Stock Up 2.9%

NYSE:WM opened at $240.78 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $97.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. Waste Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $242.58. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $225.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $219.25.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its 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 return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.70 earnings per share. Waste Management’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO John A. Carroll sold 1,021 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.71, for a total value of $239,638.91. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,309 shares in the company, valued at $1,950,205.39. This trade represents a 10.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $2,847,055.12. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,406,483.52. This trade represents a 66.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 62,820 shares of company stock worth $14,487,482 over the last 90 days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Waste Management 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.