Insider Selling: Waste Management (NYSE:WM) VP Sells 690 Shares of Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) VP Donald Smith sold 690 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.59, for a total value of $151,517.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 13,376 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,937,235.84. This represents a 4.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WM traded down $0.77 during trading on Monday, reaching $221.48. 909,285 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,195,687. The stock has a market capitalization of $89.23 billion, a PE ratio of 33.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $219.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $219.17. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52-week low of $194.11 and a 52-week high of $242.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued 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 business had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.Waste Management’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.70 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.25%.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets on WM, with new targets reported in the $235–$270 range, signaling analyst confidence in the company’s outlook and providing upside support for the stock. Price target $270 article Price target $250 article
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings-call takeaways emphasized strong cash flow, solid margins and growth in renewable natural gas (RNG) initiatives — items that support long-term revenue quality and margin expansion. Earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing / brand exposure: the WM Phoenix Open Pro‑Am drew high‑profile attendees, a one‑off PR benefit that can aid brand recognition but is unlikely to move fundamentals. WM Phoenix Open article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling disclosed: on Jan. 30 multiple senior executives (CFO, COO, several SVPs/VPs and the CAO/EVP) sold shares in lots generally between ~157–690 shares each, modestly reducing their holdings. Clustered insider sales can create short‑term negative sentiment even if routine (diversification or planned sales). Representative SEC filing: Insider sale filing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WM. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. 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 note on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Waste Management from $263.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Waste Management by 101.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

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.