James Fish, Jr. Sells 5,706 Shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) CEO James Fish, Jr. sold 5,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.87, for a total value of $1,317,344.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 220,087 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,811,485.69. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Waste Management Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE:WM opened at $234.36 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $221.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $219.26. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $242.58. The stock 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.

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

Key Stories Impacting 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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WM shares. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, DZ Bank initiated coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report 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 assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,022,916,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 444.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,206,026 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $487,157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800,728 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 55.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,897,636 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $663,037,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,258 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 218.3% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,369,805 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $302,494,000 after purchasing an additional 939,455 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 163.7% in the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 1,400,701 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $309,317,000 after buying an additional 869,453 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

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.