Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) Receives $251.19 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fifteen have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $253.5455.

Several research firms recently weighed in on WM. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird raised Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $238.00 to $242.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, National Bankshares lowered their target price on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $243.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th.

Waste Management Price Performance

NYSE WM opened at $223.18 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $219.48 and its 200 day moving average is $219.16. The company has a market capitalization of $89.91 billion, a PE ratio of 33.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. Waste Management has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $242.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.89.

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

Waste Management Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analysts raised their price targets for WM (new targets cited in the news ranged roughly from $235 to $270), signaling increased analyst confidence in the company’s outlook and likely supporting buying interest. Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $270.00 Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $250.00
• Positive Sentiment: Highlights from WM’s recent earnings call emphasized healthy cash flow, margin strength and RNG initiatives—operational themes that support medium-term earnings growth and reinforce the rationale behind analyst upgrades. Waste Management Earnings Call Highlights Cash, Margins, RNG
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing/sponsorship exposure — the WM Phoenix Open Pro‑Am attracted high-profile names, which boosts brand visibility but is unlikely to move fundamentals materially. WM Phoenix Open Pro-Am draws in more big names, including MLB stars and TV favorites
• Negative Sentiment: Numerous senior executives (CFO, COO, multiple SVPs and VPs) disclosed sales on Jan. 30 that trimmed individual holdings by roughly 0.6%–4%. While these appear to be routine monetizations rather than departures, the cluster of insider sales (totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars across filings) can be perceived negatively by some investors. Representative SEC filing: SEC Filing — Johnson Varkey Sale

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other news, CFO David L. Reed sold 270 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.62, for a total transaction of $59,027.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 8,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,933,256.66. This trade represents a 2.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 690 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.01, for a total value of $151,116.90. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 22,892 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,013,576.92. This trade represents a 2.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,806 shares of company stock worth $1,490,204. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,064,206,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its stake in Waste Management by 444.3% during the third quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,206,026 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $487,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800,728 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Waste Management by 15,782.4% during the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,728,486 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $395,512,000 after buying an additional 1,717,603 shares in the last quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 55.5% during the second quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,897,636 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $663,037,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its position in Waste Management by 218.3% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,369,805 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $302,494,000 after acquiring an additional 939,455 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Company 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.