Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) announced its earnings results on Monday. The business services provider reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.08, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $6.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 12.45% and a return on equity of 37.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.75 EPS. Waste Management updated its FY 2025 guidance to EPS.

Waste Management Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $228.79 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $227.95 and its 200 day moving average is $219.96. The company has a market cap of $92.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.65, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.66. Waste Management has a 52 week low of $196.59 and a 52 week high of $239.32.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.825 per share. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.53%.

Insider Activity

In other Waste Management news, EVP Charles C. Boettcher sold 693 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.59, for a total transaction of $152,868.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 45,542 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,046,109.78. The trade was a 1.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Johnson Varkey sold 124 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.96, for a total value of $29,135.04. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 8,491 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,995,045.36. The trade was a 1.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 95,577 shares of company stock valued at $21,662,464. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Waste Management stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 51.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,861 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,320 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $235.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $227.00 to $247.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $227.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.53.

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns and operates transfer stations, as well as owns, develops, and operates landfill facilities that produce landfill gas used as renewable natural gas for generating electricity.