Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Invests $4.25 Million in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. $CWST

Key Points

• Kornitzer Capital Management opened a new stake in Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST), buying 43,355 shares worth about $4.25 million, representing roughly 0.07% of the company.
• Casella beat Q1 expectations with $0.20 EPS (vs. ~$0.10 consensus) and revenue of $457.3M (up ~9.6% y/y), and management issued FY2026 revenue guidance around $2.1 billion while citing acquisitions as a growth driver.
• Analysts remain mixed—consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with a $111 target—but valuation and profitability are concerns, as the stock trades at a very high P/E (~700–790) with a thin net margin (~0.4%) and insiders have been selling shares recently.

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS bought a new position in shares of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 43,355 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $4,246,000. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS owned 0.07% of Casella Waste Systems at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CWST. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 180.2% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 297 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Casella Waste Systems by 301.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in Casella Waste Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Casella Waste Systems by 235.3% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 285 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. raised its stake in Casella Waste Systems by 280.0% in the 3rd quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 399 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. 99.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on CWST shares. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Casella Waste Systems from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Barclays increased their price objective on Casella Waste Systems from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Casella Waste Systems from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Casella Waste Systems from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Casella Waste Systems in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Casella Waste Systems currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $111.00.

Casella Waste Systems Stock Up 9.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:CWST opened at $86.83 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The business has a fifty day moving average of $85.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $92.93. The stock has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 789.44 and a beta of 0.77. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $74.05 and a 52-week high of $121.24.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $457.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $454.49 million. Casella Waste Systems had a return on equity of 5.20% and a net margin of 0.38%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.19 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Casella Waste Systems news, CFO Bradford John Helgeson sold 405 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 7,342 shares in the company, valued at $644,113.66. This represents a 5.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Edmond Coletta sold 988 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.81, for a total value of $86,756.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 152,618 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,401,386.58. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 15,830 shares of company stock valued at $1,454,208 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.81% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Casella Waste Systems

Here are the key news stories impacting Casella Waste Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat — Casella reported $0.20 EPS vs. a ~$0.10 consensus, beating estimates and topping year-ago EPS of $0.19, which helped lift sentiment. Zacks: Casella Tops Q1 Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and growth — Q1 revenue was $457.33M vs. ~$454.5M expected, up ~9.6% year-over-year, signaling continued top-line growth. MarketBeat: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 revenue guidance and acquisition strategy — Management issued FY2026 revenue guidance around $2.1B and highlighted strategic acquisitions as growth drivers, which supports a constructive forward view on revenue. GlobeNewswire: Q1 Results & Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary — The Q1 earnings call/transcript provided additional color on operations, acquisitions and execution; investors will watch how integration and cost synergies translate to margins. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage corroborates results — Local and national outlets summarized the beat and guidance; no major surprises beyond the results and acquisition focus. GreenwichTime: Q1 Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and thin margins — The stock trades at a very high P/E (~724) and Casella's reported net margin was about 0.43%, highlighting a stretched valuation relative to near-term earnings power that could limit upside if execution falters. MarketBeat: Valuation & Metrics

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.

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