Empowered Funds LLC Increases Stock Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Waste Management stake by 20.4% in the first quarter, owning 30,790 shares valued at approximately $7.1 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 80.4% of WM’s outstanding stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with 14 Buy ratings and six Holds producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $258.33; several firms recently raised their targets.
• Waste Management’s latest quarter exceeded earnings expectations, reporting $2.02 EPS versus $1.98 expected and 4% year-over-year revenue growth to $6.68 billion. The company also maintains a $3.78 annualized dividend, yielding about 1.7%.

Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 20.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 30,790 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 5,220 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Waste Management were worth $7,075,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Broadway Wealth Solutions Inc. grew its stake in Waste Management by 2.8% in the fourth quarter. Broadway Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 1,588 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $349,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Bey Douglas LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Bey Douglas LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,922 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $422,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Waste Management by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,104 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,341,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,398 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $527,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WM shares. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce raised shares of Waste Management from a "hold" rating to an "outperformer" rating and set a $244.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $277.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered Waste Management from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waste Management currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $258.33.

Waste Management Stock Performance

NYSE:WM opened at $226.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24. The company's 50-day moving average price is $225.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $227.60. Waste Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $248.13. The company has a market cap of $90.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.44.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.04. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.68% and a net margin of 11.11%.The company had revenue of $6.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.71 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.92 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.945 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.54%.

Waste Management News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waste Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets. Barclays increased its target from $270 to $277 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Stifel Nicolaus raised its target from $252 to $261 and reiterated Buy. These targets imply substantial upside and reinforce the bullish case for WM. Barclays and Stifel analyst actions
• Positive Sentiment: RBC also lifted its price target from $240 to $244, citing a more favorable valuation outlook, although it retained a Sector Perform rating. RBC raises Waste Management price target
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter profitability was better than expected. WM reported adjusted earnings of $2.02 per share, above the $1.98 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4% year over year to $6.68 billion. Management highlighted margin expansion, technology investments and progress integrating its healthcare-services operations. WM Q2 earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained its Hold rating. The decision suggests analysts see balanced upside and downside risks following the earnings report. Scotiabank maintains Hold rating
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue expectations and operating volumes remain concerns. WM’s full-year revenue outlook of approximately $26.38 billion was slightly below analysts’ expectations, and softer collection volumes could offset margin gains and integration benefits. WM Q2 business review
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group issued a bearish FY2026 earnings forecast, adding a cautious counterpoint to the more optimistic target increases from other firms. Erste Group bearish forecast

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc NYSE: WM is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.

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