Charles Boettcher Sells 689 Shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) EVP Charles Boettcher sold 689 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.32, for a total value of $151,111.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 56,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,316,791.88. This represents a 1.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of WM stock opened at $225.11 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $219.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $219.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.69 billion, a PE ratio of 33.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.80. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1-year low of $194.11 and a 1-year high of $242.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The company had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.70 earnings per share. Waste Management’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on WM. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Monday, December 29th. DZ Bank initiated coverage on Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $266.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Waste Management News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have raised price targets on WM across multiple reports (new targets run roughly from low‑$235s up to $270), reflecting stronger confidence in the company’s outlook and supporting buying interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Post‑earnings commentary highlights healthy cash flow, margin resilience and RNG (renewable natural gas) initiatives — operational positives that underpin higher analyst targets and medium‑term earnings potential. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational win / responsiveness: Waste Management is partnering with the City of Jackson for winter‑storm trash collection recovery efforts, showing local operations and emergency response capability that can support near‑term revenue and community relations. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brand/sponsorship exposure at the WM Phoenix Open (Pro‑Am draws, Birds Nest concerts and other event coverage) boosts visibility and marketing value but is unlikely to move fundamentals materially in the short term. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local and event safety coverage: reporting on what the Phoenix Open is doing differently this year (and how police are handling impaired driving around the event) is primarily reputational and operations‑related — monitor headlines but expect limited direct impact on earnings. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cluster of insider sales disclosed for Jan. 30 — multiple senior executives (CFO, COO, several SVPs/VPs and others) reported modest reductions in holdings. These look like routine monetizations (not departures) but the concentration of filings may create short‑term investor caution. Representative filings: Read More. and Read More.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the second quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

About Waste Management

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.