Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Q1 results: Waste Management reported EPS of $1.81, beating the consensus by $0.05, while revenue rose 3.5% to $6.23 billion but missed estimates (~$6.29B); margins remained strong (ROE 32.45%, net margin 10.74%).
• Dividend boost: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 ($3.78 annualized), a 1.7% yield and a payout ratio of 56.42%.
• Market and sentiment: Shares traded up to $227.49 as analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus (average target $255.19), even as insiders sold roughly 98,042 shares (~$23M) over the past 90 days and institutional ownership sits around 80.4%.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.76 by $0.05, Zacks reports. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. Waste Management's revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.6%

NYSE WM traded up $1.29 on Tuesday, hitting $227.49. 2,360,134 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,190,762. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Waste Management has a twelve month low of $194.11 and a twelve month high of $248.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.54. The company's 50 day moving average price is $232.54 and its 200-day moving average price is $222.48.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. This is a positive change from Waste Management's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 56.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price 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. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Friday, March 13th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Waste Management currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $255.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $2,847,055.12. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,406,483.52. This represents a 66.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO John J. Morris sold 7,979 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.07, for a total value of $1,955,413.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 98,656 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,177,625.92. The trade was a 7.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 98,042 shares of company stock valued at $23,039,777 over the last 90 days. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 0.3% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,954,519 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $873,276,000 after purchasing an additional 11,688 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 3,273,036 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $719,127,000 after purchasing an additional 139,906 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 12.6% during the third quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 3,262,148 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $720,380,000 after purchasing an additional 364,512 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 2.8% during the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,586,393 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $571,153,000 after purchasing an additional 70,363 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,381,855 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $523,319,000 after purchasing an additional 163,729 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted Q1 EPS beat consensus ($1.81 vs. ~$1.75–1.76), showing earnings strength and margin resilience that support valuation and investor confidence. Waste Management (WM) Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported stronger operating income and operating EBITDA year-over-year (Business Wire releases the detailed quarter metrics), reinforcing cash flow quality and operational leverage. WM Announces First Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Official Q1 press release and company numbers are available — investors can review the detailed results and adjusted figures to confirm underlying trends. WM Announces First Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is re-assessing WM’s valuation after recent share-price cooling and mixed short-term returns; long-term returns remain a focal point for investors. Assessing Waste Management’s Valuation After Recent Share Price Cooling And Long Term Return Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed Street expectations: sales rose ~3.5% YoY to $6.23B but fell short of consensus (~$6.29B), which dampens top-line growth outlook and explains some incremental investor caution. Waste Management NYSE: WM Misses Q1 CY2026 Sales Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage pieces that compare key metrics to estimates highlight the mixed nature of the quarter (EPS outperformance vs. revenue shortfall), leaving guidance and growth drivers as key near-term catalysts/risks. Compared to Estimates, Waste Management (WM) Q1 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

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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