Vest Financial LLC Raises Holdings in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Vest Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 23.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,808 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $7,466,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WM. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Waste Management in the second quarter valued at about $1,064,206,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,800,728 shares in the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 15,782.4% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,728,486 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $395,512,000 after buying an additional 1,717,603 shares during the last quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 55.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,897,636 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $663,037,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034,258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in Waste Management by 982.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 886,164 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $195,692,000 after acquiring an additional 804,285 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $226.33 on Thursday. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $242.58. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $216.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $219.14. 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 $91.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.59.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 10.35%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Traders noted a Power Inflow (order-flow) signal that flashed at about $222.60 and preceded an intraday high, a short-term bullish technical cue that can attract momentum buyers. Waste Management Shares Hit Intraday High After Key Trading Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Credit and balance-sheet analysis argues WM can manage its elevated debt load responsibly, which reduces investor concern about leverage and supports the stock’s valuation. Here’s Why Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Can Manage Its Debt Responsibly
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term industry research projects strong secular growth in the global waste management market through 2033, a tailwind for WM’s revenue growth outlook and investor sentiment toward the sector. Waste Management Market Poised to Surge to a Stunning US$ 2.30 Trillion by 2033
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating but trimmed its price target slightly to $250, signaling modestly less upside but no change in stance. Scotiabank rating note
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays kept an Overweight rating but nudged its target from $266 to $265, a small adjustment that still implies meaningful upside vs. current levels. Barclays price target note
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/company roundups and analyst commentaries (MSN, The Globe & Mail) are circulating but offer mixed, mostly descriptive takes rather than new catalyst-driven guidance. Waste management stocks Q3 recap Analysts Offer Insights on Industrial Goods Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns WM may lack the setup for an earnings beat in the next report, flagging a potential risk that an earnings or revenue miss could pressure the stock near-term. Waste Management (WM) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday. CIBC dropped their target price on Waste Management from $235.00 to $231.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group upgraded Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Waste Management from $252.00 to $236.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, DZ Bank initiated coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.23.

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.