UBS Group AG Has $82.46 Million Stake in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. $CWST

Key Points

• UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Casella by 653.2% in Q4 to 841,897 shares—about a 1.33% ownership stake valued at roughly $82.46 million.
• Casella beat Q1 expectations with $0.20 EPS versus ~ $0.10 consensus and revenue of $457.33M (+9.6% y/y), and issued FY2026 revenue guidance around $2.1B while highlighting acquisitions as a growth driver.
• Valuation and profitability are potential concerns: the stock trades at a stretched P/E (~789) with very thin net margins (~0.4%), and insiders have been net sellers (15,830 shares sold in the past 90 days), which could cap upside if execution falters.

UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST - Free Report) by 653.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 841,897 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 730,128 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned about 1.33% of Casella Waste Systems worth $82,455,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new position in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the third quarter valued at about $2,707,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its holdings in shares of Casella Waste Systems by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 80,000 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $7,590,000 after acquiring an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd lifted its position in Casella Waste Systems by 40.9% in the 3rd quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 102,003 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $9,678,000 after acquiring an additional 29,605 shares in the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its position in Casella Waste Systems by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 81,417 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $7,725,000 after acquiring an additional 10,207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Casella Waste Systems during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $5,519,000. Institutional investors own 99.51% of the company's stock.

Casella Waste Systems Stock Performance

CWST stock opened at $86.83 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a PE ratio of 789.44 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a 50 day moving average of $85.11 and a 200-day moving average of $92.95. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $74.05 and a 12-month high of $121.24.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $457.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $454.49 million. Casella Waste Systems had a return on equity of 5.19% and a net margin of 0.38%.The business's revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.19 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Casella Waste Systems, Inc. will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Casella Waste Systems from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group lowered their price target on Casella Waste Systems from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Barclays raised 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. Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Casella Waste Systems and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Casella Waste Systems in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $111.00.

More Casella Waste Systems News

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John W. Casella sold 1,744 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.77, for a total value of $153,070.88. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 30,795 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,702,877.15. The trade was a 5.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Bradford John Helgeson sold 405 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.73, for a total transaction of $35,530.65. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 7,342 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $644,113.66. The trade was a 5.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,830 shares of company stock valued at $1,454,208. 3.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Casella Waste Systems 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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