LaFleur & Godfrey LLC Has $2.50 Million Stake in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• LaFleur & Godfrey LLC boosted its stake by 887.7% to 11,378 shares in Waste Management, a position valued at about $2.50 million, and institutional investors now own roughly 80.40% of the company.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $255.67, while several firms (JPMorgan, Stifel, Robert W. Baird) have recently raised targets or ratings.
• Insiders sold a total of 92,616 shares worth about $21.85 million in the last quarter (insider ownership ~0.18%), even as Waste Management raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78, ~1.7% yield).

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 887.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 11,378 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 10,226 shares during the period. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC's holdings in Waste Management were worth $2,500,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Broadway Wealth Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 2.8% in the 4th 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 period. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Waste Management by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. San Luis Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,922 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $422,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,104 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Old Port Advisors raised its holdings in Waste Management by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Old Port Advisors now owns 16,963 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,727,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 1.3% during the third quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on WM. Scotiabank reissued a "sector perform" rating and issued a $250.00 price target (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Friday, March 13th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waste Management has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $255.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 4,818 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.83, for a total value of $1,165,136.94. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 78,918 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,084,739.94. The trade was a 5.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $2,847,055.12. Following the sale, the vice president owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,406,483.52. The trade was a 66.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 92,616 shares of company stock worth $21,849,115 in the last quarter. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bullish retail/coverage piece highlighting reasons investors might revisit WM as a turnaround/speculation candidate; could attract short-term interest from momentum buyers. Here's Why We Think Waste Management NYSE: WM Might Deserve Your Attention Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research on the e‑waste management market outlines long‑term growth drivers (recycling, regulation, services) that could benefit diversified waste operators like WM over time, but it’s not an immediate earnings catalyst. E-Waste Management Market 2031: Size, Share, Trends, Analysis & Forecast Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Geomembrane/liner materials report (HDPE vs LLDPE) discusses landfill containment trends that affect landfill capex/operating choices; relevant to WM’s landfill operations but not a near‑term stock mover. Geomembrane Market Report: HDPE vs LLDPE Material Trends & Waste Management 2033
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank cut its FY2026 EPS estimate for WM to $8.05 from $8.36 and maintained a "Sector Perform" stance with a $250 price target; the revision sits below some consensus figures and is likely weighing on the share price by lowering near‑term earnings expectations. (Source: Market summary provided)
• Negative Sentiment: Another analyst note reported an FY2027 EPS reduction for WM, further signaling downward pressure on forward estimates and investor expectations. FY2027 EPS Estimate for Waste Management Reduced by Analyst

Waste Management Trading Down 1.5%

WM opened at $224.51 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The company has a fifty day moving average of $232.19 and a 200-day moving average of $222.82. Waste Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $248.13. The stock has a market cap of $90.16 billion, a PE ratio of 32.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.49.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.28 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.67 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.945 dividend. This is an increase from Waste Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.70%.

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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