Advisors Asset Management Inc. Increases Holdings in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 16.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,820 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,921 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $10,560,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Signet Investment Advisory Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 2.0% in the third quarter. Signet Investment Advisory Group Inc. now owns 20,371 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,499,000 after buying an additional 399 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. lifted its position in Waste Management by 6.6% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 17,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,856,000 after purchasing an additional 1,083 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 17.9% during the third quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,642 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Investment Management LLC now owns 3,045 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly positive on WM: several firms have raised price targets and maintained buy/outperform views, and the consensus price target sits well above the current share price — supporting demand for the stock. Waste Management Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR: Waste Management’s recycling work at the WM Phoenix Open (900+ tons diverted annually) is positive for brand and ESG positioning but unlikely to move near-term earnings or the stock materially. WM Phoenix Open recycles more than 900 tons of trash each year
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market/sector headlines are active (e.g., energy/midstream stories) and can influence flows, but they do not directly change WM’s waste-management fundamentals. Williams Companies Stock Climbs as Investors Focus on Gas Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO James Fish, Jr. disclosed multiple open-market sales this week (657; 5,706; and 30,390 shares on Feb. 6, 10 and 9 respectively), totaling 36,753 shares for roughly $8.47M at ~ $230 per share and materially reducing his stake in the largest filing. While insiders sell for many reasons (diversification, taxes), the concentrated, recent selling is a negative signal that some investors may view as profit-taking or a near-term caution. SEC filing: SEC Filing – Insider Sales

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Barclays reduced their target price on Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $260.00 in a report on Friday, January 9th. Scotiabank reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,373,112.40. The trade was a 8.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO John J. Morris sold 690 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.49, for a total transaction of $151,448.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 106,635 shares in the company, valued at $23,405,316.15. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 43,559 shares of company stock worth $9,959,299 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Stock Performance

NYSE:WM opened at $234.36 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. Waste Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $242.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.53 billion, a PE ratio of 34.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.58. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $221.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $219.26.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). The business 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 period in the prior year, the company earned $1.70 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.