Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Buys 17,931 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 465,693 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,931 shares during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned about 0.12% of Waste Management worth $102,839,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,583,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Waste Management in the third quarter valued at $3,092,000. Guerra Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 59.5% during the third quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc now owns 9,037 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,996,000 after buying an additional 3,371 shares during the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 537.0% during the third quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,721 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $21,138,000 after acquiring an additional 80,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 19.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 69,287 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $15,301,000 after acquiring an additional 11,135 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of Waste Management stock opened at $240.78 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $97.12 billion, a PE ratio of 35.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.57. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1 year low of $194.11 and a 1 year high of $242.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $225.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $219.25.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The company had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. Waste Management’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on WM. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup cut their target price on Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Robert W. Baird raised Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $238.00 to $242.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, DZ Bank started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. One equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In related news, SVP Johnson Varkey sold 428 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.63, for a total value of $94,001.64. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 10,224 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,245,497.12. The trade was a 4.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO John A. Carroll sold 1,021 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.71, for a total value of $239,638.91. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,309 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,950,205.39. This trade represents a 10.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 62,820 shares of company stock worth $14,487,482 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broader market/industry tailwind — a report highlights long-term growth in the healthcare waste-management market, which supports demand for regulated waste services and can benefit large, diversified providers like WM. Healthcare Waste Management Market Size
• Positive Sentiment: Price momentum since earnings — investor notes point out WM has rallied since its last quarterly report, prompting discussion of whether that momentum can continue (supports short-term buying interest). Zacks: WM Up Since Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance debate — a Barchart piece notes WM has lagged the S&P 500 over the past year but reports analysts remain moderately optimistic; this frames the stock as undervalued by some and fairly valued by others. Is WM Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer activity — news of contract wins at smaller regional waste/cleaning firms highlights steady demand in services markets but has limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals. Primech Contract Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CAO John A. Carroll sold 37 shares (small dollar amount) in a disclosed SEC filing; while the size is minor, insider sales can create short-term sentiment pressure. CAO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CFO David L. Reed also sold 37 shares (disclosed in SEC filing); again small in size but contributes to the narrative of insider trimming. CFO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional reduction — Aster Capital significantly trimmed its WM stake (reported reduction), a data point that can amplify selling pressure from funds rebalancing. Aster Capital Reduces Position
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique — analysis on Seeking Alpha calls WM a reliable dividend name but argues the stock trades at a premium, highlighting valuation as a potential restraint on further multiple expansion. Seeking Alpha: Dividend Darling, But Premium Stinks

About Waste Management

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.