Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Here’s What Happened

Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $161.25 and last traded at $160.3970, with a volume of 1273735 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $171.70.

Trending Headlines about Waste Connections

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY?2026 revenue guidance to roughly $9.9B–$9.95B and cited AI-driven efficiency plus acquisition synergies as drivers of margin improvement — a key fundamental reason investors are bullish on forward growth and margins. Waste Connections targets $9.9B–$9.95B 2026 revenue as AI and acquisition gains bolster margin outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat estimates ($1.29 vs $1.28) and EPS rose year?over?year; management highlighted margin expansion and efficiency initiatives on the earnings call — supports the stock’s upward move. Waste Connections Posts Strong Q4 Results, Raises 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 (ex?dividend Feb 25), which supports income investors and adds to shareholder return credibility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was effectively in line/slightly below consensus ($2.35B reported vs. $2.37B expected) — mixed top?line print offsets the small EPS beat and tempers the bullish case. Waste Connections (WCN) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses and deep dives highlight margin expansion and operational efficiency initiatives; useful context for modeling but largely qualitative until converted into sustained margin outperformance. WCN Q4 Deep Dive: Margin Expansion and Efficiency Initiatives Amid Market Pressures
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation write?ups are revisiting WCN after recent share?price weakness — watch valuation multiples and how analysts adjust long?term EPS assumptions. A Look At Waste Connections (WCN) Valuation After Recent Share Price Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its price target from $210 to $200 (but kept a Buy rating) — a downward revision that signals some analyst caution on near?term upside/valuation even as the team remains constructive. Benzinga

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on WCN. TD Cowen cut their target price on Waste Connections from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $205.00 target price on Waste Connections and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $183.00 price target (down previously from $196.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $212.00 price objective on shares of Waste Connections in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barclays set a $176.00 target price on shares of Waste Connections and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $204.20.

Waste Connections Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $170.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.66. The company has a market cap of $41.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.01. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 11.37%.The firm had revenue of $2.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.16 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Waste Connections, Inc. will post 5.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. Waste Connections’s payout ratio is 58.33%.

Institutional Trading of Waste Connections

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in Waste Connections during the second quarter worth about $755,938,000. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 28.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,468,259 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,134,781,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420,921 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 37.1% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,763,742 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $835,370,000 after acquiring an additional 1,289,042 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Waste Connections by 39.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,455,162 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $783,218,000 after purchasing an additional 1,264,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Waste Connections by 58.1% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,900,321 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $508,600,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065,653 shares during the last quarter. 86.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.