Waste Management, Inc. $WM Holdings Cut by Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.

Key Points

• Duff & Phelps cut its stake in Waste Management by 21.9% in Q3, selling 6,450 shares and ending the period with 23,003 shares worth $5.08 million, while overall institutional ownership stands at about 80.4% and several other funds materially adjusted their positions.
• Dividend increase and mixed results: Waste Management raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (from $0.83) payable Mar 27, but slightly missed the quarter—EPS $1.93 vs. $1.95 and revenue $6.31B vs. $6.39B—and analysts hold a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $253.55.

Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. lowered its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) by 21.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,003 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 6,450 shares during the period. Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Waste Management were worth $5,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,583,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,092,000. Guerra Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 59.5% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Compass Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Waste Management by 537.0% during the third 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 period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Waste Management by 19.1% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 69,287 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $15,301,000 after purchasing an additional 11,135 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Waste Management from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $253.55.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of WM stock opened at $236.30 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 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 firm's fifty day simple moving average is $229.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. Waste Management's revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.70 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.945 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a boost from Waste Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio is 49.25%.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBD upgraded WM’s relative strength rating, highlighting a price breakout that can attract momentum buyers and short-term flows. This Waste Management Giant Breaks Out, Keeps Rising, Gets Stock Rating Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Waste Management raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (payable Mar 27; record/ex-dividend Mar 13), which supports income-oriented investors and signals healthy cash generation. Waste Management MarketBeat profile
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts have recently raised price targets or reiterated Buy/Outperform views, leaving the consensus target above the current price and providing fundamental support. Analyst coverage and target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Featured coverage (e.g., Motley Fool) frames WM as a defensive, buy-and-hold industrial/income name — supportive for long-term holders but not a short‑term catalyst. 1 Magnificent Industrial Stock to Buy and Hold Forever
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry presentations on longer-term opportunities (e.g., nuclear waste/disposal technologies) may matter to future growth but are not immediate drivers of the share price. Deep Isolation presentation at Waste Management 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling by senior executives (COO John J. Morris and other officers reported multi‑thousand share sales) is creating short‑term selling pressure and investor concern about timing/intent. Top Waste Management Executive Quietly Cashes In on a Major Stock Sale
• Negative Sentiment: WM’s most recent quarter slightly missed EPS and revenue estimates, and the stock suffered an outsized one-day drop recently — factors that likely amplified intraday volatility and profit-taking after the multiyear run. Waste Management (WM) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market

Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management

In related news, COO John J. Morris sold 4,211 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.38, for a total transaction of $1,024,873.18. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 99,929 shares in the company, valued at $24,320,720.02. The trade was a 4.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 4,818 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.83, for a total value of $1,165,136.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 78,918 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,084,739.94. This trade represents a 5.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 98,042 shares of company stock valued at $23,039,777 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

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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