Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-two analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $256.7368.

Several analysts have recently commented on WM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Waste Management from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Waste Management from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded Waste Management from a "hold" rating to an "outperformer" rating and set a $244.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece highlighted Waste Management as a defensive name with a positive outlook, suggesting investors may still view WM as a stable anchor in uncertain markets. Waste Management: Positive Outlook As Defensive Anchor Remains
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts said WM’s earnings are expected to grow, but also noted the stock may not have the setup for a clear earnings beat, which keeps expectations balanced ahead of the next report. Waste Management (WM) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another earnings preview from Zacks struck a similar tone, saying investors should be prepared for growth but not necessarily a strong upside surprise. Waste Management (WM) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: WM fell as the broader market moved higher, indicating some near-term profit-taking or relative weakness versus the market. Waste Management (WM) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: A local report said Waste Management will end service in a Centre County township, which could slightly weigh on sentiment even if the business impact is limited. Waste Management to end service in a Centre County township

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WM. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,990,067 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $8,566,508,000 after purchasing an additional 553,605 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,390,748 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,820,921,000 after buying an additional 281,456 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Waste Management by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,993,006 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,972,371,000 after buying an additional 117,476 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at $1,022,916,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Waste Management by 0.3% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,954,519 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $873,276,000 after buying an additional 11,688 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company's stock.

Waste Management Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:WM opened at $236.69 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. Waste Management has a 52-week low of $194.11 and a 52-week high of $248.13. The stock has a market cap of $95.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.25, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.44. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $223.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $226.86.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 10.99%.The firm had revenue of $6.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.67 earnings per share. Waste Management's revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Waste Management will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.945 per share. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 54.70%.

Waste Management Company 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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