Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC Reduces Holdings in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• Richard Bernstein Advisors cut its stake in Waste Management by 59.4% in Q3, selling 9,766 shares and leaving it with 6,685 shares valued at about $1.48 million.
• Significant insider selling — including COO John Morris (7,979 shares) and SVP Rafael Carrasco (7,352 shares) — totals 98,042 shares (~$23.04M) over 90 days, and, together with a slight quarterly EPS/revenue miss, has pressured the stock (down ~4.6%).
• Despite near-term weakness, Waste Management raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78) and several analysts boosted price targets, leaving a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a ~$253.55 target.

Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 59.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,685 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 9,766 shares during the quarter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC's holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,476,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,583,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the third quarter valued at about $3,092,000. Guerra Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 59.5% during the third quarter. Guerra Advisors Inc now owns 9,037 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,996,000 after purchasing an additional 3,371 shares in the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 537.0% during the 3rd quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,721 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $21,138,000 after purchasing an additional 80,695 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Waste Management by 19.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 69,287 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $15,301,000 after buying an additional 11,135 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waste Management news, COO John J. Morris sold 7,979 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.07, for a total transaction of $1,955,413.53. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 98,656 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,177,625.92. This represents a 7.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 7,352 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.50, for a total transaction of $1,724,044.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,644,130. This represents a 32.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 98,042 shares of company stock valued at $23,039,777. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78), a meaningful boost vs. the prior payout that supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. Dividend Increases Article
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple Wall Street firms have recently raised price targets and reiterated buy/outperform views (Stifel, TD Cowen, Bernstein, Oppenheimer), leaving consensus target above the current price and providing analyst-driven support. MarketBeat Analyst Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/retail momentum signals: IBD upgraded Waste Management’s Relative Strength rating and the stock is featured positively in a Motley Fool piece, which can attract momentum and retail buying. IBD Upgrade / Yahoo Motley Fool
• Neutral Sentiment: Company executives (CEO, EVP engineering) are participating in industry events (Waste Management 2026) discussing advanced waste solutions — positive for long-term positioning but not an immediate stock mover. Conference / GlobeNewswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recap/analyst consensus remains constructive (moderate buy, avg. target ~ $253.55) and institutional ownership is high; these are steadying factors but not immediate catalysts. MarketBeat Consensus
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: COO John Morris disclosed large sales (7,979 shares / prior filings show additional sales), and several other senior officers reported smaller disposals — large insider exits can spook investors and weigh on intraday price. InsiderTrades Alert American Banking News
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results slightly missed consensus (EPS $1.93 vs. $1.95; revenue $6.31B vs. $6.39B), which can amplify short-term selling pressure when combined with insider sales. Earnings Recap
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary and headlines note a larger-than-market drop today, a reflection of the net effect of these negative signals outweighing positives in the near term. Zacks Drop Report

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on WM. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $253.55.

Waste Management Stock Down 4.6%

Shares of NYSE:WM opened at $235.21 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.87 billion, a PE ratio of 35.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.57. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1 year low of $194.11 and a 1 year high of $248.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The firm's 50-day moving average is $228.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $220.05.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share 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 analysts' expectations of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.70 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.945 per share. 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 dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio is 49.25%.

About Waste Management

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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