Scotiabank Decreases Earnings Estimates for Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) – Stock analysts at Scotiabank cut their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Waste Management in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, January 23rd. Scotiabank analyst K. Gupta now forecasts that the business services provider will earn $8.13 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $8.22. Scotiabank has a “Sector Perform” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Waste Management’s current full-year earnings is $7.70 per share. Scotiabank also issued estimates for Waste Management’s FY2027 earnings at $9.34 EPS.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.00% and a net margin of 10.35%.The company had revenue of $6.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.51 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. Waste Management’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $238.00 to $242.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial set a $260.00 price target on Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Waste Management from $238.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $251.19.

Waste Management Stock Performance

NYSE:WM opened at $229.22 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.84. Waste Management has a fifty-two week low of $194.11 and a fifty-two week high of $242.58. The firm has a market cap of $92.35 billion, a PE ratio of 36.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $217.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $219.13.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 101.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total value of $299,542.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,373,112.40. The trade was a 8.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.97%.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $246 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in WM’s upside and providing immediate support for the stock. Wells Fargo raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks previews expect Q4 revenue up ~14.5% to $6.4B and EPS around $1.95, saying Collection and Healthcare segments are driving growth — a beat vs. cyclic worries would likely lift the shares. WM Gears Up to Post Q4 Earnings: Here’s What Investors Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat/other publications continue to profile WM as a defensive, dividend-backed infrastructure play (long runway from landfill/regulatory moats), which supports interest from income-focused investors. Waste Management company overview (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks deeper analysis explores metric-level estimates (like volumes, pricing, fuel and benefit impacts) that will drive Q4 results — useful for parsing beats/misses beyond headline EPS. What Analyst Projections for Key Metrics Reveal About WM Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent market commentary (TipRanks, Zacks market wrap) highlights WM’s resilience and modest upside in technical studies — these pieces can attract momentum flows but are not fundamental catalysts. TipRanks sector piece
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank reiterated a “Sector Perform” stance (keeps coverage steady) — a neutral signal that tempers extreme bullishness but doesn’t add fresh negative pressure. Scotiabank reiterates Sector Perform
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank/other outlets have also been reported as downgrading WM in recent headlines, which creates conflicting analyst signals and can pressure sentiment ahead of results. Scotiabank downgrades Waste Management (MSN)
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays/other reports issued pessimistic price forecasts — coupled with WM’s prior quarterly slight EPS/revenue miss, these bearish calls could weigh on shares if the Q4 print or guidance disappoints. Barclays issues pessimistic forecast

Waste Management Company 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.