Waste Connections, Inc. $WCN Shares Sold by Mufg Securities Canada LTD.

Mufg Securities Canada LTD. decreased its position in shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) by 8.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 389,553 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 38,020 shares during the quarter. Waste Connections accounts for about 1.9% of Mufg Securities Canada LTD.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Mufg Securities Canada LTD.’s holdings in Waste Connections were worth $68,336,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 2.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 31,585,284 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,552,682,000 after purchasing an additional 717,440 shares during the period. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 28.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,468,259 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,134,781,000 after purchasing an additional 1,420,921 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 17.6% in the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 6,136,218 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,078,536,000 after purchasing an additional 918,245 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,763,742 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $835,370,000 after purchasing an additional 1,289,042 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 39.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,455,162 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $783,218,000 after purchasing an additional 1,264,150 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.09% of the company’s stock.

Waste Connections Price Performance

NYSE WCN opened at $155.88 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $157.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $165.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The company has a market cap of $39.55 billion, a PE ratio of 38.02, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.51. Waste Connections, Inc. has a 1 year low of $146.89 and a 1 year high of $192.72.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.49% and a net margin of 10.97%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.13 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 5.5 EPS for the current year.

Waste Connections Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 6th were issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 6th. Waste Connections’s payout ratio is presently 34.15%.

Insider Activity

In other Waste Connections news, VP James Little sold 2,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.98, for a total transaction of $427,167.90. Following the sale, the vice president owned 34,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,640,092.10. The trade was a 7.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Eric Hansen sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.82, for a total value of $988,920.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 13,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,200,347. The trade was a 31.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 17,605 shares of company stock worth $2,822,923. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WCN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $208.00 price objective (up from $206.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Friday, March 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $199.00 price objective for the company. Barclays set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Waste Connections and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $211.00 price target on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Waste Connections from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.84.

Waste Connections Profile

Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company’s operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.