Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Sets New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $161.25 and last traded at $160.3970, with a volume of 1273735 shares. The stock had previously closed at $171.70.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Connections

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on the bottom line and margin improvement — Waste Connections reported $1.29 EPS (beat by $0.01) and disclosed adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of ~110 bps, signaling operating leverage and pricing strength. BusinessWire: Q4 Results & 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Company gave revenue guidance for FY2026 of $9.9–$10.0 billion, modestly above consensus (~$9.8B), implying continued top-line growth. BusinessWire: Q4 Results & 2026 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.35/share (annualized yield ~0.8%); Board will review annually with a stated objective to increase over time. BusinessWire: Dividend Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — Q4 revenue was $2.35B vs. consensus ~$2.37B, a disappointment relative to the small EPS beat and likely a driver of the pullback. MarketBeat: Q4 Earnings Details
• Negative Sentiment: Management did not provide clear FY EPS guidance in the update (EPS field was left blank in the guidance release), creating forward-earnings uncertainty for a stock trading at a rich multiple — investors often punish ambiguity at high valuations.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group set a $205.00 price target on Waste Connections in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Waste Connections from $221.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Waste Connections from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce set a $208.00 price target on Waste Connections in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $186.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.50.

Waste Connections Trading Down 8.1%

The firm has a market cap of $40.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50 day moving average of $171.31 and a 200 day moving average of $174.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.01. Waste Connections had a net margin of 6.65% and a return on equity of 16.07%. The firm had revenue of $2.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Waste Connections’s dividend payout ratio is presently 58.33%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in Waste Connections during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Connections during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Connections during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in Waste Connections during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. raised its holdings in Waste Connections by 555.2% in the third quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 190 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. 86.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.