Waste Management, Inc. $WM Shares Sold by Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC

Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC lessened its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 35.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 475,677 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 262,746 shares during the quarter. Waste Management accounts for approximately 2.9% of Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC owned 0.12% of Waste Management worth $108,845,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the first quarter valued at $38,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the 1st quarter valued at about $45,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Stock Down 0.6%

WM stock opened at $214.69 on Wednesday. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $194.11 and a one year high of $242.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $212.31 and its 200 day moving average is $223.02. The firm has a market cap of $86.49 billion, a PE ratio of 33.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.35% and a return on equity of 33.00%. Waste Management’s revenue was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WM shares. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $255.00 price objective for the company. CIBC reduced their price target on shares of Waste Management from $235.00 to $231.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Waste Management from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, September 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $249.14.

About Waste Management

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.