Scotiabank Forecasts Stronger Earnings for Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) – Scotiabank raised their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Waste Management in a research report issued on Thursday, July 23rd. Scotiabank analyst K. Gupta now forecasts that the business services provider will post earnings of $8.08 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $8.05. Scotiabank has a “Sector Perform” rating and a $260.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Waste Management’s current full-year earnings is $8.16 per share. Scotiabank also issued estimates for Waste Management’s FY2027 earnings at $9.17 EPS.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.04. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 10.99%.The business had revenue of $6.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.92 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Weiss Ratings cut Waste Management from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Waste Management from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $256.74.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.7%

Waste Management stock opened at $239.54 on Monday. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $248.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $224.83 and a 200 day moving average of $227.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 54.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 7.7% in the 2nd quarter. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,392 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $310,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Sunpointe LLC bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,103,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 211.8% in the second quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 22,312 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,973,000 after purchasing an additional 15,155 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its position in Waste Management by 1.0% in the second quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 99,480 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $22,172,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD raised its stake in Waste Management by 2.4% during the second quarter. Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD now owns 60,249 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $13,428,000 after purchasing an additional 1,433 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: WM reported adjusted earnings of $2.02 per share, above analysts’ estimates of approximately $1.98-$1.99 and up from $1.92 a year earlier. Waste Management Q2 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue increased 4.0% year over year to $6.684 billion, while adjusted operating income rose to $1.290 billion and adjusted operating EBITDA increased to approximately $2.067 billion. These figures indicate continued operating growth and earnings leverage. WM Announces Second Quarter 2026 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings beat was achieved despite revenue coming in modestly below consensus, suggesting margins and cost control helped support profitability. WM’s reported 31.90% return on equity also underscores its strong earnings generation, though leverage remains elevated.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages’ consensus price target is $256.74, above the stock’s recent trading level, providing a favorable analyst valuation signal. Waste Management Receives Consensus Target Price
• Negative Sentiment: WM’s updated 2026 revenue outlook of $26.3 billion-$26.5 billion has a midpoint slightly below the $26.5 billion consensus estimate. The absence of a clearly higher outlook could temper enthusiasm following the earnings beat.
• Neutral Sentiment: At a price-to-earnings ratio near 35, WM already carries a premium valuation. Investors will likely require sustained earnings growth and margin improvement to justify further gains.

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.