GWN Securities Inc. Sells 17,355 Shares of Republic Services, Inc. $RSG

GWN Securities Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 53.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,293 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 17,355 shares during the quarter. Republic Services accounts for 0.8% of GWN Securities Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. GWN Securities Inc.’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $3,539,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 75.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,822 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,988,000 after purchasing an additional 8,547 shares during the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Republic Services in the 1st quarter worth about $218,000. Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its position in Republic Services by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 1,156 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Republic Services by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,944 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gallacher Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Republic Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $262,000. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Katharine Weymouth acquired 478 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $209.46 per share, for a total transaction of $100,121.88. Following the purchase, the director owned 5,740 shares in the company, valued at $1,202,300.40. This trade represents a 9.08% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group set a $220.00 price target on Republic Services in a research report on Monday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Republic Services in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $255.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Republic Services from $280.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Oppenheimer set a $256.00 price objective on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $238.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Republic Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $250.41.

Republic Services Price Performance

NYSE RSG opened at $209.59 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company has a market cap of $64.88 billion, a PE ratio of 31.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.55. Republic Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $201.42 and a 52 week high of $258.75. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $212.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $224.22.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The business services provider reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.25 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 18.24%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Republic Services’s payout ratio is 37.20%.

Republic Services Profile

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.