James Fish, Jr. Sells 30,390 Shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) CEO James Fish, Jr. sold 30,390 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.36, for a total value of $7,000,640.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 225,793 shares in the company, valued at $52,013,675.48. This trade represents a 11.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Waste Management Stock Performance

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

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 51.1% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,861 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,384,000 after purchasing an additional 2,320 shares in the last quarter. Sprott Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 1st quarter valued at $325,000. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 28,393 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,497,000 after acquiring an additional 1,849 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 110,313 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,242,000 after acquiring an additional 5,205 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 2,073 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $474,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WM. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

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.