Boston Trust Walden Corp Invests $30.52 Million in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. $CWST

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp opened a new position in Casella Waste Systems, buying 311,665 shares worth about $30.52 million and owning roughly 0.49% of the company at quarter-end.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $111 average target (two Strong Buy, seven Buy, two Hold, one Sell), implying material upside from the stock's recent ~$80.84 price.
• Casella beat Q4 EPS ($0.30 vs. $0.22) and reported 9.7% revenue growth year-over-year, but it trades at an elevated PE (~673.72), and insiders sold about $1.45 million of stock in the last quarter.

Boston Trust Walden Corp acquired a new position in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 311,665 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $30,524,000. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned 0.49% of Casella Waste Systems at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Horizon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 48.6% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 489 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 115.1% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 785 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,116,000. Choreo LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the 4th quarter valued at about $200,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,784,000. 99.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CWST has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Casella Waste Systems from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded Casella Waste Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 target price on Casella Waste Systems and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Casella Waste Systems from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Casella Waste Systems in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $111.00.

Casella Waste Systems Price Performance

CWST stock opened at $80.84 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $74.05 and a 52-week high of $121.24. The stock's 50 day moving average is $87.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.41. The company has a market capitalization of $5.13 billion, a PE ratio of 673.72 and a beta of 0.84.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $469.06 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $471.32 million. Casella Waste Systems had a return on equity of 5.17% and a net margin of 0.43%.The business's revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. Analysts predict that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. will post 1.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Casella Waste Systems

In other news, CAO Kevin Drohan sold 675 shares of Casella Waste Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.61, for a total value of $62,511.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 7,462 shares in the company, valued at approximately $691,055.82. This trade represents a 8.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Bradford John Helgeson sold 405 shares of Casella Waste Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.73, for a total value of $35,530.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 7,342 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $644,113.66. The trade was a 5.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 15,830 shares of company stock worth $1,454,208 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.81% of the company's stock.

Casella Waste Systems Company Profile

Casella Waste Systems, Inc is a regional resource management company headquartered in Rutland, Vermont. Established in 1975, the company has grown from a single-truck operation into a multi-state provider of integrated waste management solutions. Casella offers a comprehensive range of services, including residential, commercial and industrial waste collection, transfer station operations, landfill disposal, recycling processing and organics management.

Through a network of solid waste transfer stations, recycling facilities and landfills, Casella serves communities primarily across the northeastern United States and parts of the mid-Atlantic region.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CWST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.