BTC Capital Management Inc. Reduces Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

BTC Capital Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 53.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,226 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 28,064 shares during the period. BTC Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $5,332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WM. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 101.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Management during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the third quarter valued at $41,000. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In other news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total transaction of $4,171,464.31. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 44,146 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,674,944.26. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $2,847,055.12. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,406,483.52. This represents a 66.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 98,042 shares of company stock worth $23,039,777 in the last three months. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on WM shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Friday, March 13th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $254.59.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: WM outperformed while the broader market dipped, attracting buyers seeking defensive exposure; coverage attributes the move to WM’s stable revenue, high customer retention and perceived resilience in volatile markets. Why the Market Dipped But Waste Management (WM) Gained Today
• Positive Sentiment: Third‑party commentary highlights WM as a “safe” pick in volatile markets (included in a popular model portfolio), reinforcing investor interest in WM’s defensive qualities and long-term cash flow profile. This attention can support multiple and demand for the shares. Is Waste Management (WM) the Best Safe Stock to Buy Amid Market Volatility?
• Positive Sentiment: Feature on WM’s safety leader emphasizes operational discipline (safety programs, risk reduction). Strong safety and operating practices lower accident-related costs and regulatory risk—factors that support reliability of free cash flow and can be viewed favorably by investors. Lessons from WM Safety Leader Chris Ball
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundups comparing WM to peers (e.g., Cintas, Fortune Brands) provide context on valuation and competitive positioning; useful for relative-value assessments but not an immediate catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies: Waste Management (WM), Cintas (CTAS) and Fortune Brands Innovations (FBIN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Guides on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules in India for e‑waste and plastics highlight evolving regulation that could expand organized waste-management opportunities overseas. Impact on WM is speculative and long‑term—monitor for M&A or partnership signals. EPR Registration for E-Waste Management in India (2026 Updated Guide)
• Neutral Sentiment: Related guide on EPR for plastic waste in India—regulatory trend that could create future service demand but currently offers limited direct, near-term impact to WM’s U.S.-centric revenues. EPR Registration for Plastic Waste Management in India (2026 Update): Complete Guide

Waste Management Stock Performance

NYSE:WM opened at $229.73 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm has a market cap of $92.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.57. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $232.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $220.97. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1-year low of $194.11 and a 1-year high of $248.13.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 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 firm had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.945 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 56.42%.

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.