Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $245.70.

Several research firms recently issued reports on RSG. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Republic Services from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Bank of America dropped their price target on Republic Services from $271.00 to $241.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Republic Services from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of Republic Services from $256.00 to $255.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $238.00 price target for the company.

Republic Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:RSG opened at $231.63 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $217.73 and a 200 day moving average of $219.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market cap of $71.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.81, a P/E/G ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.54. Republic Services has a 12 month low of $201.42 and a 12 month high of $258.75.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The business services provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.21 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 18.44%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.58 EPS. Republic Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.200-7.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Republic Services will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be given a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Republic Services’s payout ratio is 36.50%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 478 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $209.46 per share, for a total transaction of $100,121.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 5,740 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,202,300.40. This trade represents a 9.08% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Republic Services

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Republic Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $617,165,000. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 27.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 8,765,623 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,857,698,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899,183 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Republic Services by 38.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,348,501 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,133,509,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490,719 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Republic Services by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,070,130 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,074,513,000 after purchasing an additional 807,525 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Republic Services by 7,683.2% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 739,792 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $169,768,000 after buying an additional 730,287 shares during the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.