Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $240.00

Key Points

• Analyst updates: RBC raised its price target to $240 (sector perform) implying ~3.4% upside, while other firms have lifted targets (Baird $260, JPMorgan $270), leaving a MarketBeat consensus target of $255.43 and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy.
• Q1 results: Waste Management beat EPS estimates ($1.81 vs. $1.74) but missed revenue ($6.23B vs. $6.29B), with management citing margin and EBITDA improvements from pricing, cost cuts and recycling initiatives and FY‑2026 revenue guidance of about $26.4–$26.6B (in line with the Street).
• Market snapshot and insider activity: Shares traded near $232 (up ~0.8%) with a market cap of ~$93.6B and P/E ~34.7; insiders sold roughly 98,042 shares (~$23M) in the past three months while institutions own about 80.4% of the stock.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada from $235.00 to $240.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "sector perform" rating on the business services provider's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 3.37% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on WM. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Waste Management from $248.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group upgraded Waste Management from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $255.43.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of Waste Management stock traded up $1.87 on Thursday, reaching $232.18. 1,319,895 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,185,402. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $232.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $222.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.54. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $248.13.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.29 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.Waste Management's revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.67 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Waste Management will post 8.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other news, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,406,483.52. This trade represents a 66.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total value of $4,171,464.31. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 44,146 shares in the company, valued at $10,674,944.26. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 98,042 shares of company stock worth $23,039,777. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WM. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 101.5% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. RHL Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 55.3% during the fourth quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and margin/EBITDA improvements — WM reported $1.81 EPS vs. ~$1.74 consensus; operating EBITDA and margins expanded thanks to pricing, cost cuts and sustainability initiatives, which supports earnings durability. WM Announces First Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Industry write-ups highlight margin momentum — coverage (Waste360) notes WM grew margins in Q1 as pricing and sustainability investments offset volume pressure, reinforcing the stock’s earnings quality narrative. WM Grows Margins in Q1
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/long-form bullish takes — a Seeking Alpha piece frames WM as a “money printing compounder,” which can bolster investor confidence and longer-term multiple support. Waste Management Is A Money Printing Compounder
• Positive Sentiment: Recycling and sustainability cited as contributors to earnings growth — company commentary and press coverage point to recycling initiatives helping margins, a positive signal for structural profitability. WM cites recycling as a factor in earnings growth
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 revenue guidance largely in line with Street — company updated FY revenue outlook to about $26.4–$26.6B versus a consensus near $26.5B, suggesting guidance is not a surprise to the market.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcripts available — the Q1 call transcript and several summaries are live for investors wanting detail on volume trends, pricing cadence and margin drivers. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and volume softness — revenue missed estimates ($6.23B vs. ~$6.29B est.) and collection volumes declined, which raises questions about top‑line growth sustainability if volume trends persist. WM Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price-target tweak — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target from $273 to $268 while keeping an Overweight rating; a modest cut that could temper upside expectations despite the bullish rating. Wells Fargo Price Target Change

About Waste Management

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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