Sapient Capital LLC Sells 9,244 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• Sapient Capital reduced its Waste Management stake by 10.4%, selling 9,244 shares and retaining 79,578 shares valued at approximately $18.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.4% of the company.
• Waste Management reported quarterly EPS of $2.02, beating estimates of $1.98, while revenue rose 4% year over year to $6.68 billion, slightly below expectations.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.945 per share, equivalent to a 1.7% annual yield, while analysts maintain a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $258.33 versus the stock’s $226.89 opening price.

Sapient Capital LLC decreased its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 10.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 79,578 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 9,244 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC's holdings in Waste Management were worth $18,286,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 55.3% during the 4th quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. RHL Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Waste Management in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management in the third quarter worth $30,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of WM opened at $226.89 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.14, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.24, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1-year low of $194.11 and a 1-year high of $248.13. The company has a 50-day moving average of $225.52 and a 200 day moving average of $227.66.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.04. Waste Management had a net margin of 11.11% and a return on equity of 31.68%. The business had revenue of $6.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.13 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.7%. Waste Management's payout ratio is 53.54%.

More Waste Management News

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on WM. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $264.00 to $263.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $240.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on Waste Management from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waste Management has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $258.33.

Waste Management 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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