Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: Of 21 firms covering Republic Services, 12 rate it a buy and nine a hold; the average 12-month price target is $249.32.
• Quarterly results beat expectations: The company reported EPS of $1.94 versus a $1.93 consensus estimate and revenue of $4.56 billion, up 8.2% year over year.
• Republic Services announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, equivalent to $2.68 annually and a yield of about 1.1%.

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $249.32.

RSG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $259.00 to $281.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. BMO Capital Markets set a $244.00 target price on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Republic Services from $220.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Republic Services from $234.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Republic Services from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday.

Republic Services Stock Performance

RSG opened at $247.43 on Wednesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $225.95 and its 200-day moving average is $218.01. The stock has a market cap of $75.38 billion, a PE ratio of 34.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Republic Services has a twelve month low of $196.41 and a twelve month high of $254.39.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.01. Republic Services had a return on equity of 18.56% and a net margin of 12.93%. The business had revenue of $4.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.90 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Republic Services will post 7.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 15th. Investors of record on Monday, January 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 4th. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Republic Services's payout ratio is presently 37.07%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Brian A. Bales sold 3,400 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.00, for a total transaction of $829,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,616 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,298,304. This trade represents a 16.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. acquired 324,810 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $222.89 per share, for a total transaction of $72,396,900.90. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 117,058,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,091,156,583.16. This represents a 0.28% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired 5,578,298 shares of company stock valued at $1,234,519,081 over the last 90 days. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Republic Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of RSG. Focus Financial Network Inc. boosted its position in shares of Republic Services by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,861 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $397,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 1,455 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $305,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC now owns 903 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $198,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 4,614 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $968,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Republic Services by 47.3% during the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 162 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Republic Services Company Profile

Republic Services, Inc. provides waste collection, recycling and environmental services to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers across the United States. Its services include collecting and transporting waste, operating transfer stations and landfills, and processing recyclable materials. The company also provides environmental solutions, including services for the management and disposal of hazardous and other specialized waste. Republic Services traces its origins to the 1990s and expanded its operations through the 2008 combination with Allied Waste Industries.

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