Swedbank AB Boosts Stake in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Swedbank AB boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,044,685 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 89,094 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $449,238,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of WM. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of 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 period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Price Performance

NYSE:WM opened at $224.51 on Wednesday. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $248.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $90.16 billion, a PE ratio of 32.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.49. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $232.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $222.82.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 10.99%.The firm had revenue of $6.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.28 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.67 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.945 per share. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 54.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO John J. Morris sold 4,211 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.38, for a total transaction of $1,024,873.18. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 99,929 shares in the company, valued at $24,320,720.02. This trade represents a 4.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Johnson Varkey sold 121 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.27, for a total value of $29,677.67. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 9,293 shares in the company, valued at $2,279,294.11. This trade represents a 1.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 92,616 shares of company stock worth $21,849,115. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Waste Management from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Friday, March 13th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. UBS Group raised Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Waste Management from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $255.67.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bullish retail/coverage piece highlighting reasons investors might revisit WM as a turnaround/speculation candidate; could attract short-term interest from momentum buyers. Here’s Why We Think Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Might Deserve Your Attention Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research on the e?waste management market outlines long?term growth drivers (recycling, regulation, services) that could benefit diversified waste operators like WM over time, but it’s not an immediate earnings catalyst. E-Waste Management Market 2031: Size, Share, Trends, Analysis & Forecast Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Geomembrane/liner materials report (HDPE vs LLDPE) discusses landfill containment trends that affect landfill capex/operating choices; relevant to WM’s landfill operations but not a near?term stock mover. Geomembrane Market Report: HDPE vs LLDPE Material Trends & Waste Management 2033
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank cut its FY2026 EPS estimate for WM to $8.05 from $8.36 and maintained a “Sector Perform” stance with a $250 price target; the revision sits below some consensus figures and is likely weighing on the share price by lowering near?term earnings expectations. (Source: Market summary provided)
• Negative Sentiment: Another analyst note reported an FY2027 EPS reduction for WM, further signaling downward pressure on forward estimates and investor expectations. FY2027 EPS Estimate for Waste Management Reduced by Analyst

Waste Management Profile

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.