Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $261.00

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its target price lifted by Stifel Nicolaus from $252.00 to $261.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Waste Management from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $269.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $258.33.

Waste Management Stock Performance

WM opened at $226.89 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $248.13. The business has a 50 day moving average of $225.52 and a 200-day moving average of $227.60. The stock has a market cap of $90.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.14, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.44.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.04. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.68% and a net margin of 11.11%.The business had revenue of $6.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.71 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waste Management will post 8.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were given a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is presently 53.54%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 7.7% in the second quarter. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,392 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $310,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Sunpointe LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Management during the second quarter worth approximately $1,103,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 211.8% during the 2nd quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 22,312 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,973,000 after acquiring an additional 15,155 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in Waste Management by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 99,480 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $22,172,000 after acquiring an additional 1,029 shares during the period. Finally, Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD raised its holdings in Waste Management by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD now owns 60,249 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,428,000 after acquiring an additional 1,433 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waste Management News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets. Barclays increased its target from $270 to $277 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Stifel Nicolaus raised its target from $252 to $261 and reiterated Buy. These targets imply substantial upside and reinforce the bullish case for WM. Barclays and Stifel analyst actions
• Positive Sentiment: RBC also lifted its price target from $240 to $244, citing a more favorable valuation outlook, although it retained a Sector Perform rating. RBC raises Waste Management price target
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter profitability was better than expected. WM reported adjusted earnings of $2.02 per share, above the $1.98 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4% year over year to $6.68 billion. Management highlighted margin expansion, technology investments and progress integrating its healthcare-services operations. WM Q2 earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained its Hold rating. The decision suggests analysts see balanced upside and downside risks following the earnings report. Scotiabank maintains Hold rating
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue expectations and operating volumes remain concerns. WM’s full-year revenue outlook of approximately $26.38 billion was slightly below analysts’ expectations, and softer collection volumes could offset margin gains and integration benefits. WM Q2 business review
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group issued a bearish FY2026 earnings forecast, adding a cautious counterpoint to the more optimistic target increases from other firms. Erste Group bearish forecast

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.