Short Interest in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) Drops By 18.0%

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,671,813 shares, a decrease of 18.0% from the December 31st total of 3,257,553 shares. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,373,701 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,373,701 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.9 days. Approximately 0.9% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Republic Services Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of Republic Services stock traded down $1.88 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $213.85. 953,922 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,376,344. The firm has a market cap of $66.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.54. Republic Services has a 1 year low of $201.42 and a 1 year high of $258.75. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $213.40 and its 200 day moving average is $221.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04.

Insider Activity at Republic Services

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Republic Services

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ignite Planners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 2.8% during the second quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 1,562 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $376,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Republic Services by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 908 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. ANB Bank grew its holdings in Republic Services by 2.8% during the third quarter. ANB Bank now owns 1,691 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $388,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC raised its stake in Republic Services by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 7,232 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,783,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Republic Services by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 899 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on RSG shares. UBS Group set a $220.00 target price on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Republic Services from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $240.00 price target on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Republic Services from $246.00 to $242.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Republic Services in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $255.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $248.82.

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.