Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) Shares Down 5.2% – Here’s Why

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST)’s share price dropped 5.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $97.07 and last traded at $96.0310. Approximately 38,578 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 94% from the average daily volume of 594,236 shares. The stock had previously closed at $101.28.

Casella Waste Systems News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Casella Waste Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus — Casella reported $0.30 EPS, ahead of the consensus $0.22 estimate, which is a short-term positive versus expectations. Casella (CWST) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue grew year-over-year — Quarterly revenue rose ~9.7% YoY to $469.1M, showing underlying demand and top-line growth in the business. Casella Press Release (Q4 & FY2025)
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with expectations — Reported revenue was essentially in-line/slightly below consensus (reported $469.06M vs. $471.3M expected), which tempers the EPS beat. Casella Q4 CY2025 Earnings Results
• Neutral Sentiment: FY-2026 guidance provided but ambiguous — Management released FY-2026 revenue guidance around the $2.0B level (consensus similar), but EPS guidance communicated in the release/notice was unclear or omitted, leaving investors with uncertainty on near-term profit trajectory. Globe Newswire: Q4 & FY2025 Results and FY2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript available — Management commentary on margins, cost actions and capital allocation is in the earnings call transcript; investors will watch for detail that could sway sentiment. Casella CWST Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data for mid-February appears unreliable/insignificant in the filings cited, so short pressure is not a clear driver based on available data.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability weakness and valuation risk — EPS is down from $0.41 a year ago and net margin remains thin (~0.85%), while the stock trades at a very high P/E (~398x), leaving shares vulnerable if growth or margin improvement disappoints. Casella Press Release (Q4 & FY2025)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CWST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Casella Waste Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Casella Waste Systems in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $112.00 price target for the company. Barclays set a $95.00 price objective on shares of Casella Waste Systems and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 target price on shares of Casella Waste Systems and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Casella Waste Systems from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $114.33.

Casella Waste Systems Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $102.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.20. The company has a market capitalization of $6.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 795.57 and a beta of 0.79.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $469.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $471.32 million. Casella Waste Systems had a net margin of 0.43% and a return on equity of 5.18%. Casella Waste Systems’s revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 325.5% during the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 217 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Casella Waste Systems in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Casella Waste Systems by 180.2% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 301.6% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. 99.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Casella Waste Systems

Casella Waste Systems, Inc is a regional resource management company headquartered in Rutland, Vermont. Established in 1975, the company has grown from a single-truck operation into a multi-state provider of integrated waste management solutions. Casella offers a comprehensive range of services, including residential, commercial and industrial waste collection, transfer station operations, landfill disposal, recycling processing and organics management.

Through a network of solid waste transfer stations, recycling facilities and landfills, Casella serves communities primarily across the northeastern United States and parts of the mid-Atlantic region.