Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA Sells 21,742 Shares of Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA trimmed its position in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 16.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 110,415 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 21,742 shares during the quarter. Republic Services accounts for 1.7% of Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Kepler Cheuvreux Suisse SA’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $24,182,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of RSG. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Republic Services during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Republic Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Republic Services Price Performance

NYSE:RSG opened at $217.27 on Friday. Republic Services, Inc. has a one year low of $196.41 and a one year high of $246.25. The stock has a market cap of $66.85 billion, a PE ratio of 31.17, a P/E/G ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $208.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $214.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The business services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.06. Republic Services had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 18.57%. The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.58 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Republic Services, Inc. will post 7.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be paid a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio is 35.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

RSG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $249.00 price objective on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $240.00 to $223.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Republic Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Friday, March 13th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Republic Services from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.26.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Sandra M. Volpe sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.28, for a total value of $380,304.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 58 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,254.24. This represents a 96.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Cascade Investment, L.L.C. bought 60,700 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $213.31 per share, for a total transaction of $12,947,917.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 110,803,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,635,597,400.42. This trade represents a 0.05% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought a total of 987,150 shares of company stock valued at $202,366,682 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.12% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Company Profile

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.