TD Cowen Has Lowered Expectations for Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Stock Price

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) had its target price decreased by TD Cowen from $210.00 to $200.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the business services provider’s stock. TD Cowen’s target price points to a potential upside of 24.68% from the stock’s current price.

WCN has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays set a $176.00 price objective on Waste Connections and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $205.00 price target (up previously from $200.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $186.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up from $215.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $213.00 target price on Waste Connections and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $204.20.

Waste Connections Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE:WCN opened at $160.41 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. Waste Connections has a 1-year low of $155.65 and a 1-year high of $201.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.47, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.62. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $170.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $174.54.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $2.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.37 billion. Waste Connections had a net margin of 11.37% and a return on equity of 16.25%. Waste Connections’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.16 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Waste Connections will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Waste Connections

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 19.0% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,879 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,031,000 after purchasing an additional 939 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Waste Connections by 346.2% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Waste Connections by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 340,628 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $59,733,000 after acquiring an additional 72,302 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Waste Connections by 44.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 929 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $163,000 after acquiring an additional 284 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Waste Connections by 24.7% during the 4th quarter. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC now owns 3,571 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $626,000 after acquiring an additional 708 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Connections

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2026 revenue guidance to roughly $9.9B–$9.95B and cited AI-driven efficiency plus acquisition synergies as drivers of margin improvement — a key fundamental reason investors are bullish on forward growth and margins. Waste Connections targets $9.9B–$9.95B 2026 revenue as AI and acquisition gains bolster margin outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat estimates ($1.29 vs $1.28) and EPS rose year‑over‑year; management highlighted margin expansion and efficiency initiatives on the earnings call — supports the stock’s upward move. Waste Connections Posts Strong Q4 Results, Raises 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 (ex‑dividend Feb 25), which supports income investors and adds to shareholder return credibility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was effectively in line/slightly below consensus ($2.35B reported vs. $2.37B expected) — mixed top‑line print offsets the small EPS beat and tempers the bullish case. Waste Connections (WCN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses and deep dives highlight margin expansion and operational efficiency initiatives; useful context for modeling but largely qualitative until converted into sustained margin outperformance. WCN Q4 Deep Dive: Margin Expansion and Efficiency Initiatives Amid Market Pressures
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write‑ups are revisiting WCN after recent share‑price weakness — watch valuation multiples and how analysts adjust long‑term EPS assumptions. A Look At Waste Connections (WCN) Valuation After Recent Share Price Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its price target from $210 to $200 (but kept a Buy rating) — a downward revision that signals some analyst caution on near‑term upside/valuation even as the team remains constructive. Benzinga

Waste Connections Company Profile

Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company’s operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.