Republic Services, Inc. $RSG Shares Sold by Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lessened its holdings in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 7.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 130,174 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 11,200 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $27,588,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Republic Services by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 172 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.73% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:RSG opened at $210.59 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $209.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $214.75. The stock has a market cap of $64.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.41. Republic Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $196.41 and a fifty-two week high of $255.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The business services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.06. Republic Services had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 18.57%. The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.58 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. acquired 60,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $213.31 per share, with a total value of $12,947,917.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 110,803,982 shares in the company, valued at $23,635,597,400.42. This trade represents a 0.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have purchased a total of 987,150 shares of company stock worth $202,366,682 over the last 90 days. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus cut shares of Republic Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Republic Services from $240.00 to $223.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Republic Services from $242.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Republic Services from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Republic Services from $238.00 to $252.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Republic Services has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $245.15.

Republic Services Profile

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.