Benjamin Edwards Inc. Raises Holdings in Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its stake in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 2.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 263,693 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,192 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc. owned about 0.08% of Republic Services worth $60,525,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in Republic Services during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Republic Services by 1,222.2% in the 2nd quarter. Cranbrook Wealth Management LLC now owns 119 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Republic Services by 68.5% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 123 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Republic Services during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Atticus Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Republic Services

In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth bought 478 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $209.46 per share, with a total value of $100,121.88. Following the acquisition, the director owned 5,740 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,202,300.40. This trade represents a 9.08% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

RSG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group set a $248.00 price target on Republic Services and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays initiated coverage on Republic Services in a report on Friday, September 19th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $240.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $240.00 price target on Republic Services in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, National Bankshares dropped their target price on shares of Republic Services from $270.00 to $241.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $250.41.

Republic Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:RSG opened at $209.05 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $212.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $225.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The company has a market capitalization of $64.71 billion, a PE ratio of 31.11, a PEG ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.55. Republic Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $201.42 and a 1-year high of $258.75.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.25 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 18.24%. Republic Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.81 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.625 dividend. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. Republic Services’s payout ratio is presently 37.20%.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.