Waste Management (NYSE:WM) COO Sells $151,448.10 in Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) COO John Morris sold 690 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.49, for a total transaction of $151,448.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 106,635 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,405,316.15. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Waste Management stock traded down $0.77 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $221.48. The stock had a trading volume of 909,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,195,687. The company has a 50-day moving average of $219.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $219.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $242.58. The company has a market cap of $89.23 billion, a PE ratio of 33.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58.

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

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is currently 49.25%.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets on WM, with new targets reported in the $235–$270 range, signaling analyst confidence in the company’s outlook and providing upside support for the stock. Price target $270 article Price target $250 article
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings-call takeaways emphasized strong cash flow, solid margins and growth in renewable natural gas (RNG) initiatives — items that support long-term revenue quality and margin expansion. Earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing / brand exposure: the WM Phoenix Open Pro‑Am drew high‑profile attendees, a one‑off PR benefit that can aid brand recognition but is unlikely to move fundamentals. WM Phoenix Open article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling disclosed: on Jan. 30 multiple senior executives (CFO, COO, several SVPs/VPs and the CAO/EVP) sold shares in lots generally between ~157–690 shares each, modestly reducing their holdings. Clustered insider sales can create short‑term negative sentiment even if routine (diversification or planned sales). Representative SEC filing: Insider sale filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on WM. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday. CIBC cut their target price on shares of Waste Management from $235.00 to $231.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter worth approximately $1,583,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 57,093 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,064,000 after purchasing an additional 1,698 shares in the last quarter. GPM Growth Investors Inc. raised its stake in Waste Management by 50.6% in the second quarter. GPM Growth Investors Inc. now owns 16,640 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 5,588 shares in the last quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. bought a new position in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,092,000. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,804 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $21,156,000 after buying an additional 7,143 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.