Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Oppenheimer Analyst Says

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its target price lifted by research analysts at Oppenheimer from $263.00 to $264.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Oppenheimer’s target price suggests a potential upside of 20.51% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on WM. Truist Financial set a $260.00 price objective on Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $238.00 to $242.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective (down previously from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $252.19.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WM traded down $4.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $219.08. 709,908 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,149,203. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $219.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $219.32. Waste Management has a 1-year low of $194.11 and a 1-year high of $242.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The firm has a market cap of $88.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.59.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.22% and a net margin of 10.74%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waste Management will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,064,206,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in Waste Management by 444.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,206,026 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $487,157,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800,728 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 15,782.4% during the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,728,486 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $395,512,000 after purchasing an additional 1,717,603 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 55.5% in the second quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,897,636 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $663,037,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,258 shares during the period. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its stake in Waste Management by 218.3% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,369,805 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $302,494,000 after purchasing an additional 939,455 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy and raised the focus on WM’s strong core operations, growing free cash flow and potential upside from the healthcare segment turnaround — a bullish analyst signal that supports upside vs. current levels. Buy Rating on Waste Management
• Positive Sentiment: Company announced a 14% dividend increase and signaled intent to resume buybacks (guidance assumes ~$2B in buybacks), which supports shareholder returns and offsets near‑term disappointment. WM Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary framing WM as a steady, cash-generative business that could keep rallying over time; argues the Q4 miss is not a change to the long‑term thesis (dividends, margin expansion, buybacks). Waste Management’s “Boring” Business Is Powering a Quiet Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors wanting detail on drivers (pricing, volumes, cost trends, healthcare segment commentary). Useful for modeling near‑term recovery vs. guidance. Waste Management, Inc. (WM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed consensus: EPS and revenue were slightly below Street expectations (reported ~$1.93 EPS vs. ~1.95 consensus; revenue ~$6.31B vs. ~$6.39B). The miss prompted the immediate negative market reaction as it cut into near‑term expectations. WM Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction coverage: several outlets report the stock fell after Q4 results and details showing EPS/revenue misses and the company’s guidance left some investors unimpressed. These headlines amplify selling pressure in the short term. Waste Management Stock Falls After Disappointing Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Third‑party fiscal summaries flagged larger-than-expected EPS shortfalls in some feeds (Quiver/aggregate data), noting weaker-than-expected cash & balance sheet line details that can drive closer scrutiny by investors. Waste Management Inc. (WM) stock falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research notes long‑term market growth in drilling waste management — a sector snapshot that’s unlikely to move WM’s stock near term but adds context for investors focused on end‑market trends. Solid Control Drilling Waste Management Market Size to Hit $3.23 Billion by 2035
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds (short‑term): winter storms disrupted service in some regions, highlighting near‑term execution risk and potential incremental costs. Winter Storm Disrupts WM Service And Tests Long Term Investment Story

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.