Waste Management’s (WM) “Sector Perform” Rating Reaffirmed at Scotiabank

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jan 22nd, 2026

Scotiabank reaffirmed their sector perform rating on shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM – Free Report) in a research report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. Scotiabank currently has a $250.00 price objective on the business services provider’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $254.00.

WM has been the subject of several other research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $262.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $234.00 to $223.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.23.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on WM

Waste Management Stock Up 2.3%

WM opened at $226.33 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $216.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $219.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. Waste Management has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $242.58. The stock has a market cap of $91.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.59.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 10.35%.The company had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.51 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 51.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,583,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management by 3.1% during the second quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 57,093 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,064,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares during the period. GPM Growth Investors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 50.6% during 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 buying an additional 5,588 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 62.9% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 268,033 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $61,331,000 after buying an additional 103,487 shares during the period. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,804 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $21,156,000 after acquiring an additional 7,143 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Traders noted a Power Inflow (order-flow) signal that flashed at about $222.60 and preceded an intraday high, a short-term bullish technical cue that can attract momentum buyers. Waste Management Shares Hit Intraday High After Key Trading Signal
Positive Sentiment: Credit and balance-sheet analysis argues WM can manage its elevated debt load responsibly, which reduces investor concern about leverage and supports the stock’s valuation. Here’s Why Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Can Manage Its Debt Responsibly
Positive Sentiment: Longer-term industry research projects strong secular growth in the global waste management market through 2033, a tailwind for WM’s revenue growth outlook and investor sentiment toward the sector. Waste Management Market Poised to Surge to a Stunning US$ 2.30 Trillion by 2033
Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating but trimmed its price target slightly to $250, signaling modestly less upside but no change in stance. Scotiabank rating note
Neutral Sentiment: Barclays kept an Overweight rating but nudged its target from $266 to $265, a small adjustment that still implies meaningful upside vs. current levels. Barclays price target note
Neutral Sentiment: Sector/company roundups and analyst commentaries (MSN, The Globe & Mail) are circulating but offer mixed, mostly descriptive takes rather than new catalyst-driven guidance. Waste management stocks Q3 recap Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies
Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns WM may lack the setup for an earnings beat in the next report, flagging a potential risk that an earnings or revenue miss could pressure the stock near-term. Waste Management (WM) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Waste Management Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.