Vanguard Group Inc. Grows Stock Position in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. $CWST

Key Points

• Vanguard increased its stake by 9.7% in Q4 to 6,574,893 shares — roughly 10.36% ownership of Casella worth about $644 million per its SEC filing.
• Q1 beat: Casella reported $0.20 EPS vs. ~$0.10 expected and revenue of $457.33M (vs. ~$454.5M), and issued FY2026 revenue guidance around $2.1B while emphasizing acquisitions as growth drivers.
• The stock shows a **stretched valuation** (P/E roughly 789x reported) alongside very thin profitability (net margin ~0.38–0.43%), a combination that could limit upside if execution falters.

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST - Free Report) by 9.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,574,893 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 581,310 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.36% of Casella Waste Systems worth $643,945,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Casella Waste Systems by 301.6% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Casella Waste Systems by 235.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 285 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in Casella Waste Systems by 180.2% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 297 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp bought a new position in Casella Waste Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. lifted its position in Casella Waste Systems by 280.0% in the 3rd quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 399 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.51% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Casella Waste Systems

In other news, CAO Kevin Drohan sold 675 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.61, for a total transaction of $62,511.75. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $691,055.82. This trade represents a 8.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Bradford John Helgeson sold 405 shares of Casella Waste Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 7,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $644,113.66. The trade was a 5.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,830 shares of company stock valued at $1,454,208. 3.78% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Casella Waste Systems News Roundup

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

Casella Waste Systems Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CWST opened at $86.83 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 789.44 and a beta of 0.77. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $74.05 and a 1 year high of $121.24. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.95.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on CWST shares. Barclays raised Casella Waste Systems from an "underweight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $102.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings lowered Casella Waste Systems from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Raymond James Financial reiterated a "strong-buy" rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Casella Waste Systems in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 price target on Casella Waste Systems and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Casella Waste Systems from $112.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Casella Waste Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $111.13.

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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