Waste Management (NYSE:WM) SVP Christopher Desantis Sells 215 Shares

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) SVP Christopher Desantis sold 215 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.85, for a total value of $47,052.75. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 9,561 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,092,424.85. This represents a 2.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Waste Management Stock Performance

NYSE:WM traded down $0.77 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $221.48. 909,285 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,195,687. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $219.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.06, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52-week low of $194.11 and a 52-week high of $242.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The company had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 49.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WM. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,583,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 3.1% in the second quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 57,093 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,064,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares during the last quarter. GPM Growth Investors Inc. grew its stake in Waste Management by 50.6% in the 2nd quarter. GPM Growth Investors Inc. now owns 16,640 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 5,588 shares during the period. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter worth $3,092,000. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 8.1% during the third quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 95,804 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $21,156,000 after acquiring an additional 7,143 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on WM. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (down previously from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, DZ Bank initiated coverage on Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets on WM, with new targets reported in the $235–$270 range, signaling analyst confidence in the company’s outlook and providing upside support for the stock. Price target $270 article Price target $250 article
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings-call takeaways emphasized strong cash flow, solid margins and growth in renewable natural gas (RNG) initiatives — items that support long-term revenue quality and margin expansion. Earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing / brand exposure: the WM Phoenix Open Pro?Am drew high?profile attendees, a one?off PR benefit that can aid brand recognition but is unlikely to move fundamentals. WM Phoenix Open article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling disclosed: on Jan. 30 multiple senior executives (CFO, COO, several SVPs/VPs and the CAO/EVP) sold shares in lots generally between ~157–690 shares each, modestly reducing their holdings. Clustered insider sales can create short?term negative sentiment even if routine (diversification or planned sales). Representative SEC filing: Insider sale filing

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.