Danske Bank A S Has $35.86 Million Holdings in Waste Connections, Inc. $WCN

Key Points

• Danske Bank raised its stake in Waste Connections by 9.2% in Q4 to 204,483 shares valued at $35.86 million, equal to roughly 0.08% of the company.
• Waste Connections beat EPS estimates ($1.23 vs. $1.19) but missed revenue expectations ($2.33B vs. $2.50B), with revenue up 6.4% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.35 (annualized $1.40, yield 0.9%, ex-dividend May 6), and analysts hold a consensus Buy with an average target price of $203.35.

Danske Bank A S increased its stake in shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN - Free Report) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 204,483 shares of the business services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 17,247 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S owned approximately 0.08% of Waste Connections worth $35,858,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Connections in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Waste Connections during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Waste Connections during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. boosted its holdings in Waste Connections by 555.2% in the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 190 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Connections in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,000. 86.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP James Little sold 2,605 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.98, for a total value of $427,167.90. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 34,395 shares in the company, valued at $5,640,092.10. This represents a 7.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Waste Connections Stock Down 2.1%

WCN stock opened at $161.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.16 billion, a PE ratio of 39.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Waste Connections, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.90 and a twelve month high of $199.00. The stock's 50 day moving average is $164.21 and its 200-day moving average is $168.58.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $2.33 billion during 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%.Waste Connections's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 5.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 6th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 6th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Waste Connections's dividend payout ratio is presently 34.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WCN has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $183.00 price objective (down from $196.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Friday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $208.00 price target (up from $206.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a research note on Friday, March 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $199.00 price target for the company. UBS Group set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Waste Connections from $195.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $203.35.

Waste Connections Company 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.

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