Waste Management (NYSE:WM) VP Donald Smith Sells 690 Shares

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) VP Donald Smith sold 690 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.59, for a total value of $151,517.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 13,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,937,235.84. The trade was a 4.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of WM opened at $223.18 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52-week low of $194.11 and a 52-week high of $242.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $219.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $219.16.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The company had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.70 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid 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 currently 49.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WM shares. National Bankshares reduced their target price on Waste Management from $250.00 to $243.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. DZ Bank began coverage on Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,583,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 57,093 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,064,000 after acquiring an additional 1,698 shares during the last quarter. GPM Growth Investors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 50.6% in the 2nd 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 stake in Waste Management during the third quarter valued at $3,092,000. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 8.1% in the third quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,804 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $21,156,000 after acquiring an additional 7,143 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Waste Management News

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

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.