Waste Management (NYSE:WM) SVP Sells $150,628.21 in Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) SVP Johnson Varkey sold 617 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $244.13, for a total value of $150,628.21. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,345,356.91. This represents a 6.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Johnson Varkey also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, January 30th, Johnson Varkey sold 428 shares of Waste Management stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.63, for a total transaction of $94,001.64.

Waste Management Price Performance

Shares of WM traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $243.58. 1,020,540 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,290,666. 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 1 year low of $194.11 and a 1 year high of $244.88. The company has a market cap of $98.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $226.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $219.49.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.Waste Management’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.70 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.945 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.25%.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly cash dividend to $0.945 per share (record March 13; payable March 27) — a ~14.5% increase that reinforces WM’s cash‑return profile and appeals to income investors. WM Announces Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional buying remains evident (notable new/expanded stakes reported, including Norges Bank and several asset managers), which supports demand for the shares from long‑term holders. WM Institutional Holdings / Analyst Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains constructive — consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target above current levels, and several recent upgrades/target increases by firms such as Stifel, Wells Fargo and Baird. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry news: a third‑party hazardous‑waste vendor celebrated an anniversary — sector background but limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals. All Clean Hazardous Waste Removal Celebrates Over 12 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales were disclosed on March 2: VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares (~$4.17M) and SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 4,818 shares (~$1.17M); smaller executive sales (CFO, other SVPs) were also filed. Large officer sales can create short‑term selling pressure or raise governance/expectations questions, so watch for continued insider activity. TipRanks: Executives Unload Millions SEC Filing (Watson) SEC Filing (Hemmer)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waste Management currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WM. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,990,067 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,566,508,000 after purchasing an additional 553,605 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Waste Management by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,390,748 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,820,921,000 after purchasing an additional 281,456 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,993,006 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,972,371,000 after buying an additional 117,476 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 5.1% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,668,221 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,250,613,000 after purchasing an additional 277,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,022,916,000. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

About Waste Management

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.