First Trust Advisors LP Sells 22,204 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

First Trust Advisors LP reduced its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 7.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 280,353 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 22,204 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.07% of Waste Management worth $64,422,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter worth about $10,206,000. Capital Advisors Inc. OK grew its stake in Waste Management by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 196,585 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $43,192,000 after acquiring an additional 3,880 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS increased its holdings in Waste Management by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 236,153 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $51,885,000 after acquiring an additional 36,900 shares during the period. LBP AM SA increased its holdings in Waste Management by 24.1% during the 4th quarter. LBP AM SA now owns 46,640 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $10,247,000 after acquiring an additional 9,071 shares during the period. Finally, Cohen Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,252,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waste Management Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WM opened at $238.86 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $224.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $227.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.57, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.44. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $194.11 and a one year high of $248.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The company had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th were paid a dividend of $0.945 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 54.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WM shares. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “hold” rating to an “outperformer” rating and set a $244.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Barclays boosted their target price on Waste Management from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on Waste Management from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $256.74.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect WM to report higher revenue and earnings, supported by stronger collection and disposal pricing plus a sharp increase in renewable energy sales. WM Is Set to Report Q2 Earnings: Here’s What Investors Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: WM was highlighted as a stock that can benefit from inflation because its contracts allow it to pass rising costs through to customers, which supports margins and earnings resilience. 2 Stocks Built to Thrive If Inflation Refuses to Fade
• Positive Sentiment: The company was also cited as one of several waste firms using AI to improve efficiency and expand margins, reinforcing the long-term growth narrative. 3 Waste Stocks Turning AI Investments Into Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles published ahead of earnings focused on Wall Street estimates and key operating metrics, suggesting investors are mainly waiting for the actual Q2 report before making a bigger move. Curious about Waste Management (WM) Q2 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: One broad S&P 500 article mentioned WM among companies worth investigating, but it did not provide a specific new catalyst for the stock. 1 S&P 500 Stock Worth Investigating and 2 Facing Challenges

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.