Eric Hansen Sells 6,000 Shares of Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Stock

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) SVP Eric Hansen sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.82, for a total value of $988,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 13,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,200,347. This trade represents a 31.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Waste Connections Price Performance

Waste Connections stock traded down $0.75 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $160.48. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 936,002 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,618,100. Waste Connections, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.90 and a fifty-two week high of $199.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.69. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $164.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $168.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.96 billion, a PE ratio of 39.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.55.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.49% and a net margin of 10.97%.Waste Connections’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.13 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 5.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Connections Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 6th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Waste Connections’s payout ratio is 34.15%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Connections

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. City Holding Co. purchased a new stake in Waste Connections in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Connections in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in Waste Connections in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Waste Connections by 1,166.7% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 190 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Waste Connections by 346.2% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on WCN shares. Scotiabank set a $197.00 price target on Waste Connections and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Waste Connections from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $211.00 price target on shares of Waste Connections in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Barclays set a $180.00 price target on Waste Connections and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Waste Connections in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $203.35.

Waste Connections Company Profile

Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company’s operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.