M&T Bank Corp Grows Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in Waste Management by 8.4% to 198,739 shares, valued at about $42.34 million, in a company where institutions own roughly 80.4% of the stock.
• Waste Management slightly missed Q4 estimates with $1.93 EPS vs. $1.95 expected and $6.31B revenue vs. $6.39B, though revenue was up 7.1% year‑over‑year and analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78, yield 1.7%), even as insiders sold about 98,042 shares (~$23M) in the last quarter.

M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 8.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 198,739 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 15,339 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Waste Management were worth $42,342,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WM. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 101.5% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE WM opened at $224.25 on Thursday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $232.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $222.21. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $248.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The stock has a market cap of $90.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.47, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.54.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.70 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from Waste Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. Waste Management's payout ratio is presently 56.42%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Johnson Varkey sold 121 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.27, for a total value of $29,677.67. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,279,294.11. The trade was a 1.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total transaction of $4,171,464.31. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 44,146 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,674,944.26. This trade represents a 28.10% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 98,042 shares of company stock valued at $23,039,777. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Renewable-energy operations (RNG and other energy initiatives) could bolster results and offset weakness in some collection/landfill segments — a bullish catalyst investors are watching into the print. WM Gears Up to Post Q1 Earnings: Here's What Investors Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Street consensus expects year‑over‑year earnings growth for Q1, so investors are buying in ahead of the release, but the setup lacks the two key ingredients (likely a sizable beat and positive guidance) that typically drive strong post‑earnings rallies. Waste Management (WM) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a slim EPS miss and revenues slightly below estimates, which raises the bar for management to deliver encouraging commentary or guidance to avoid a negative reaction. Investors should be mindful that any soft volume/pricing commentary or weaker-than-expected RNG contributions could trigger selling. Waste Management Stock Profile & Recent Results

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WM. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $273.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $255.64.

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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