Westport Asset Management Inc. Invests $3.20 Million in Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

Westport Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 15,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,196,000. Republic Services makes up 1.3% of Westport Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in Republic Services during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new position in Republic Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Republic Services in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Republic Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in shares of Republic Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Republic Services Stock Performance

Shares of RSG opened at $220.85 on Thursday. Republic Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $196.41 and a 12 month high of $238.62. The company’s fifty day moving average is $214.52 and its 200-day moving average is $214.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The firm has a market cap of $67.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.40.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The business services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.04. Republic Services had a return on equity of 18.69% and a net margin of 12.94%.The business had revenue of $4.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.36 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Republic Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.230-7.280 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Republic Services, Inc. will post 7.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 2nd. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from Republic Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. Republic Services’s payout ratio is presently 35.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on RSG shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Republic Services from $233.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $232.00 target price on shares of Republic Services in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on Republic Services from $247.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $233.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.26.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Republic Services news, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. acquired 261,664 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $214.89 per share, with a total value of $56,228,976.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 111,065,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,866,896,668.94. The trade was a 0.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Sandra M. Volpe sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.28, for a total transaction of $380,304.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 58 shares in the company, valued at $12,254.24. This represents a 96.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 1,220,674 shares of company stock valued at $263,117,588. Corporate insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Company 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.