Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02), Zacks reports. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.35% and a return on equity of 33.00%. The company had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Waste Management Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of WM stock opened at $227.54 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $219.02 and its 200 day moving average is $219.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.59. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $242.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is presently 51.97%.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and bulls point to a possible growth inflection as volume headwinds ease and pricing remains strong; this supports the long-term investment thesis. Waste Management: Growth Inflection Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Market positioning: many analysts maintain buy/overweight ratings and price targets well above current levels (median ~ $255), which can support upside over time. QuiverQuant — Analyst Ratings & Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Company press release: WM reported full Q4 and FY 2025 results (revenue growth, adjusted metrics) and provided FY2026 revenue guidance in a range; this is the primary source for modeling but offers no material upside surprise. WM Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage and previews highlighted buyback/dividend moves and helped sentiment leading into the print, but these are already priced in to some extent. Preview: Waste Management’s Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed consensus: revenue $6.31B (+7.1% YoY) vs. ~ $6.39B expected, and EPS missed the consensus by a small margin (reported $1.93 vs. ~$1.95 estimate). Misses drove short-term selling. Zacks — Q4 Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and cash metrics: FY2026 revenue guidance ($26.4B–$26.6B) was roughly at/just under consensus and the company’s EPS guidance lacked upside surprise, limiting relief after the print. MarketBeat — WM Stock Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Operational disruption: a winter storm caused service interruptions, a short-term hit to operations that reinforces near-term execution risk. Yahoo Finance — Winter Storm Disrupts WM Service

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total value of $299,542.80. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. The trade was a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quest Investment Management LLC raised its position in Waste Management by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $802,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 1.2% during the third quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 6,047 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,335,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 0.9% in the second quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,928 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,043,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC now owns 1,295 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, BOKF NA grew its stake in Waste Management by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. BOKF NA now owns 16,488 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,641,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. DZ Bank initiated coverage on shares of Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Waste Management from $234.00 to $223.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $251.19.

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.