GSA Capital Partners LLP Sells 7,398 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

GSA Capital Partners LLP lessened its holdings in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 87.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,060 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 7,398 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 101.5% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in Waste Management during the 2nd quarter worth $40,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth about $41,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 47.0% in the third quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 244 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waste Management Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $240.78 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The firm has a market cap of $97.12 billion, a PE ratio of 35.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $225.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $219.33. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $242.58.

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

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broader market/industry tailwind — a report highlights long-term growth in the healthcare waste-management market, which supports demand for regulated waste services and can benefit large, diversified providers like WM. Healthcare Waste Management Market Size
• Positive Sentiment: Price momentum since earnings — investor notes point out WM has rallied since its last quarterly report, prompting discussion of whether that momentum can continue (supports short-term buying interest). Zacks: WM Up Since Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance debate — a Barchart piece notes WM has lagged the S&P 500 over the past year but reports analysts remain moderately optimistic; this frames the stock as undervalued by some and fairly valued by others. Is WM Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer activity — news of contract wins at smaller regional waste/cleaning firms highlights steady demand in services markets but has limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals. Primech Contract Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CAO John A. Carroll sold 37 shares (small dollar amount) in a disclosed SEC filing; while the size is minor, insider sales can create short-term sentiment pressure. CAO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CFO David L. Reed also sold 37 shares (disclosed in SEC filing); again small in size but contributes to the narrative of insider trimming. CFO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional reduction — Aster Capital significantly trimmed its WM stake (reported reduction), a data point that can amplify selling pressure from funds rebalancing. Aster Capital Reduces Position
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique — analysis on Seeking Alpha calls WM a reliable dividend name but argues the stock trades at a premium, highlighting valuation as a potential restraint on further multiple expansion. Seeking Alpha: Dividend Darling, But Premium Stinks

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $238.00 to $242.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Scotiabank reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 7,352 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.50, for a total transaction of $1,724,044.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,644,130. This represents a 32.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total transaction of $2,847,055.12. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,406,483.52. The trade was a 66.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 62,820 shares of company stock valued at $14,487,482. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

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.