Allianz SE Decreases Stock Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Allianz SE decreased its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 4.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 43,654 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 2,201 shares during the period. Allianz SE’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $9,640,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $1,384,000 after buying an additional 2,320 shares during the last quarter. Sprott Inc. purchased a new position in Waste Management in the 1st quarter worth $325,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its position in Waste Management by 7.8% during the 2nd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 7,997 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,830,000 after acquiring an additional 579 shares during the period. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 13.4% in the second quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $278,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.9% in the second quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 6,834 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,564,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on WM. Scotiabank reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $238.00 to $242.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Management

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

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 7,352 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.50, for a total value of $1,724,044.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,644,130. This represents a 32.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $2,847,055.12. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,406,483.52. This trade represents a 66.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 62,820 shares of company stock valued at $14,487,482 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Stock Up 2.9%

WM stock opened at $240.78 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $97.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.58. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $242.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $225.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $219.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted 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). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.70 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.