Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Issues Earnings Results

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The business services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.04, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.50 billion. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 11.37%.The company’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.13 EPS.

Waste Connections Trading Up 6.5%

WCN traded up $10.18 during trading on Thursday, hitting $166.69. 398,077 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,604,899. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.61. Waste Connections has a 12-month low of $154.90 and a 12-month high of $199.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $163.82 and a 200 day moving average of $168.89.

Waste Connections Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 6th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 6th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Waste Connections’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.57%.

Trending Headlines about Waste Connections

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat estimates — Waste Connections reported $1.23 EPS versus the $1.19 consensus, showing year?over?year EPS growth and helping reassure investors on profitability. Zacks: WCN Surpasses Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Strong adjusted EBITDA and margins — Management said revenue and adjusted EBITDA came in above expectations and reported an adjusted EBITDA margin (management highlighted 32.5%), which supports operating leverage and free cash flow potential. BusinessWire: Q1 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Board approved a $0.35 quarterly cash dividend (payable May 21; record date May 6), signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. That can support investor sentiment and income?oriented demand. BusinessWire: Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed coverage on revenue vs. estimates — some outlets and the company called revenue above expectations while others note differences versus analyst models; the split has produced both supportive and cautious analyst takes. Seeking Alpha: Revenue/Profit Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue short of some analyst consensus — reported revenue was $2.33B versus a ~$2.50B consensus cited by some services, which tempers the EPS beat and raises short?term growth concerns. MarketBeat: Q1 Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Net income declined year?over?year — reported profit (about US$219.3M) was down from US$241.5M a year ago, a datapoint investors will watch for margin pressure or one?time impacts. MSN: Q1 Profit Decline

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Waste Connections from $210.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays set a $176.00 target price on shares of Waste Connections and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $205.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $183.00 price objective (down from $196.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $205.00 price objective on Waste Connections and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $202.81.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Connections

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WCN. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Connections in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Waste Connections by 346.2% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waste Connections in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Connections by 89.5% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 360 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Waste Connections during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $70,000. 86.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Waste Connections

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.