Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 3,602,775 shares, a decrease of 12.4% from the February 12th total of 4,114,877 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 928,021 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.9 days. Approximately 5.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Approximately 5.9% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 928,021 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.9 days.

Insider Transactions at Casella Waste Systems

In related news, CEO John W. Casella sold 6,726 shares of Casella Waste Systems stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.10, for a total value of $626,190.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 27,989 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,605,775.90. This trade represents a 19.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Kevin Drohan sold 675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.61, for a total transaction of $62,511.75. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $691,055.82. This trade represents a 8.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 15,830 shares of company stock valued at $1,454,208 in the last 90 days. 3.81% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Casella Waste Systems

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CWST. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Casella Waste Systems during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Casella Waste Systems by 180.2% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 297 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Casella Waste Systems by 301.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Casella Waste Systems in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Casella Waste Systems during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 99.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on CWST. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Casella Waste Systems from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 price target on Casella Waste Systems and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research raised Casella Waste Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on Casella Waste Systems from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Casella Waste Systems from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $113.11.

Casella Waste Systems Stock Performance

Shares of CWST stock opened at $88.46 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $99.59 and a 200-day moving average of $95.29. Casella Waste Systems has a one year low of $82.22 and a one year high of $121.24. The company has a market cap of $5.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 737.23 and a beta of 0.80.

Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ:CWST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.08. Casella Waste Systems had a net margin of 0.43% and a return on equity of 5.17%. The business had revenue of $469.06 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $471.32 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.41 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Casella Waste Systems will post 1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Casella Waste Systems News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Casella Waste Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company hired an industry executive as Chief Revenue Officer, signaling renewed emphasis on top‑line growth and commercial execution — a catalyst investors view positively for revenue acceleration. Casella Waste Systems, Inc. Announces Hiring of Industry Executive as Chief Revenue Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Edmond Coletta disclosed small open‑market sales (377 shares on Mar 12 at ~$89.80 and 988 shares on Mar 16 at ~$87.81). These represent fractional reductions in holdings and appear consistent with routine liquidity rather than a firm‑level warning. SEC Form 4 — CEO Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: CAO Kevin Drohan made modest sales (85 shares on Mar 16 and 55 shares on Mar 12), small in size and likely personal/portfolio related. SEC Form 4 — CAO Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Director John W. Casella sold larger blocks (1,744 shares on Mar 16 at ~$87.77 and 963 shares on Mar 12 at ~$90.06), reducing his stake by several percent — director sales of this scale can weigh on sentiment because they materially lower insider ownership. SEC Form 4 — Director Sales
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Bradford John Helgeson sold 405 shares on Mar 16 (~$87.73), a ~5% reduction in his holdings; sales by a senior finance officer may raise more questions from investors about timing or tax/liquidity motives. SEC Form 4 — CFO Sale

About Casella Waste Systems

Casella Waste Systems, Inc is a regional resource management company headquartered in Rutland, Vermont. Established in 1975, the company has grown from a single-truck operation into a multi-state provider of integrated waste management solutions. Casella offers a comprehensive range of services, including residential, commercial and industrial waste collection, transfer station operations, landfill disposal, recycling processing and organics management.

Through a network of solid waste transfer stations, recycling facilities and landfills, Casella serves communities primarily across the northeastern United States and parts of the mid-Atlantic region.