Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Q1 EPS of $1.23 beat consensus ($1.19), but revenue missed at $2.33B versus a $2.50B estimate, with revenue still up 6.4% year‑over‑year.
• The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 ($1.40 annualized, ~0.9% yield) and the dividend payout ratio is roughly 33.6%.
• Analysts hold an overall "Buy" consensus with a $202.81 average target, while the stock trades near recent lows (around $156.55) and was down ~0.9% on the latest session.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN - Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.04, Zacks reports. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 11.37%.The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.13 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Waste Connections Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of WCN stock opened at $156.55 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. Waste Connections has a 52-week low of $154.90 and a 52-week high of $199.78. The company has a market capitalization of $39.96 billion, a PE ratio of 37.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.61. The business's fifty day moving average is $163.82 and its 200 day moving average is $168.89.

Waste Connections Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 25th were given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 25th. Waste Connections's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WCN. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $183.00 price target (down from $196.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Waste Connections from $187.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Waste Connections from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $205.00 price target (down from $206.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Waste Connections in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $202.81.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Connections

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Connections in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 346.2% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Waste Connections during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Connections by 89.5% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 360 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Waste Connections in the fourth quarter worth approximately $70,000. 86.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Connections

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and adjusted EBITDA beat expectations; adjusted EBITDA margin was strong at ~32.5%, suggesting solid underlying profitability and operational leverage. Waste Connections Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share (payable May 21, 2026), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. Waste Connections Announces Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS improved versus last year ($1.23 vs $1.13), and some outlets note the quarter beat narrower consensus estimates (e.g., Zacks). This supports the view of steady organic growth. Waste Connections (WCN) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are parsing industrial peers and Waste Connections' results for durable demand signals; commentary may influence near‑term flows but contains mixed views. Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed some sell‑side consensus (reported $1.23 vs. consensus ~$1.36 in some reports), and reported Q1 net profit fell to US$219.3M from US$241.5M a year ago — factors that likely drove today’s weakness as investors focused on the miss and YoY profit decline. Waste Connections reports US$219.3M in Q1 profit, down from US$241.5M last year

About Waste Connections

Waste Connections NYSE: WCN is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company's operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.