Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) Shares Sold by Raymond James & Associates

Raymond James & Associates decreased its position in Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN - Free Report) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 394,313 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 6,399 shares during the quarter. Raymond James & Associates owned 0.15% of Waste Connections worth $67,826,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 26,254 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,526,000 after buying an additional 856 shares during the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management increased its stake in Waste Connections by 14.1% during the third quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 3,847 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $519,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in Waste Connections by 5.6% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 85,032 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $11,420,000 after purchasing an additional 4,509 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 40.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 664,992 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $89,309,000 after purchasing an additional 190,485 shares during the period. Finally, Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its position in shares of Waste Connections by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 124,500 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $16,720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.09% of the company's stock.

Waste Connections Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE WCN traded up $0.82 during trading on Friday, hitting $164.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 722,254 shares, compared to its average volume of 924,834. Waste Connections, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $126.12 and a fifty-two week high of $173.02. The company has a market cap of $42.36 billion, a PE ratio of 53.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $167.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.98.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The business services provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.05 billion. Waste Connections had a net margin of 9.70% and a return on equity of 14.66%. Waste Connections's revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 4.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.285 per share. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 7th. Waste Connections's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on WCN shares. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Connections from $146.50 to $179.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Waste Connections from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Waste Connections from $182.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Waste Connections from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Waste Connections from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waste Connections currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $179.33.

Insider Activity at Waste Connections

In other news, Director Andrea E. Bertone sold 902 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.17, for a total value of $152,591.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Waste Connections Profile

Waste Connections, Inc provides non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, disposal, and resource recovery services in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services to residential, commercial, municipal, industrial, and exploration and production (E&P) customers; landfill disposal services; and recycling services for various recyclable materials, including compost, cardboard, mixed paper, plastic containers, glass bottles, and ferrous and aluminum metals.