Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $246.00

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price target boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $238.00 to $246.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Truist Financial set a $260.00 target price on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. National Bankshares reduced their target price on Waste Management from $250.00 to $243.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Waste Management from $234.00 to $223.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $251.19.

Waste Management Stock Performance

WM opened at $229.22 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $217.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $219.13. Waste Management has a 1 year low of $194.11 and a 1 year high of $242.58. The company has a market capitalization 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.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total value of $299,542.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in Waste Management by 101.5% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waste Management News Summary

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.