Laffer Tengler Investments Inc. Lowers Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Laffer Tengler Investments Inc. cut its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 80.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,099 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 4,389 shares during the period. Laffer Tengler Investments Inc.’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RBO & Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. RBO & Co. LLC now owns 57,785 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $12,761,000 after acquiring an additional 2,054 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 2.0% in the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 62,802 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $13,869,000 after purchasing an additional 1,217 shares during the period. USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter valued at approximately $200,000. Miramar Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 16.4% during the third quarter. Miramar Capital LLC now owns 58,055 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $12,820,000 after purchasing an additional 8,174 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Level Four Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,166 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,349,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of WM opened at $243.36 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $226.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $219.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $244.88. The stock has a market cap of $98.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.32, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.57.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.70 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.945 per share. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 49.25%.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In related news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 17,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,674,944.26. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 4,818 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.83, for a total value of $1,165,136.94. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 78,918 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,084,739.94. The trade was a 5.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 84,931 shares of company stock worth $19,834,285 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.945 per share (14.5% increase vs prior quarter); payable March 27 with record/ex?dividend dates March 13. The raise strengthens WM’s income profile and signals continued free cash flow generation. WM Announces Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional demand reported (notably a new Norges Bank stake in Q4) supports longer?term buy-side conviction and helps underpin the stock despite near?term volatility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains positive overall (consensus “Moderate Buy” with a ~ $253.55 target). Upgrades and raised targets provide context for upside but are largely already priced in.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple executives sold shares on March 2 — including VP Michael J. Watson (17,251 shares, ~28% reduction in his stake) and SVP Tara J. Hemmer (4,818 shares). Large officer sales can create short?term selling pressure or prompt investor scrutiny; watch for follow?on insider activity. Insider Sale SEC Filing (Michael J. Watson)

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on WM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Waste Management has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

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.