James Fish, Jr. Sells 657 Shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) CEO James Fish, Jr. sold 657 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $151,110.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 256,183 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,922,090. This trade represents a 0.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Waste Management Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE WM opened at $234.36 on Thursday. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $242.58. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $221.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $219.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.53 billion, a PE ratio of 34.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.58.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. YCG LLC lifted its position in Waste Management by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. YCG LLC now owns 245,540 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $53,948,000 after acquiring an additional 753 shares during the period. Scholtz & Company LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Scholtz & Company LLC now owns 19,257 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,231,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Waste Management by 202.7% in the 4th quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,794 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $614,000 after buying an additional 1,871 shares during the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 884.3% in the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 4,400 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $967,000 after buying an additional 3,953 shares during the period. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Waste Management by 227.1% during the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 157 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. DZ Bank began coverage on shares of Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Waste Management in a report on Monday, November 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly positive on WM: several firms have raised price targets and maintained buy/outperform views, and the consensus price target sits well above the current share price — supporting demand for the stock. Waste Management Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Local PR: Waste Management’s recycling work at the WM Phoenix Open (900+ tons diverted annually) is positive for brand and ESG positioning but unlikely to move near-term earnings or the stock materially. WM Phoenix Open recycles more than 900 tons of trash each year
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market/sector headlines are active (e.g., energy/midstream stories) and can influence flows, but they do not directly change WM’s waste-management fundamentals. Williams Companies Stock Climbs as Investors Focus on Gas Demand
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO James Fish, Jr. disclosed multiple open-market sales this week (657; 5,706; and 30,390 shares on Feb. 6, 10 and 9 respectively), totaling 36,753 shares for roughly $8.47M at ~ $230 per share and materially reducing his stake in the largest filing. While insiders sell for many reasons (diversification, taxes), the concentrated, recent selling is a negative signal that some investors may view as profit-taking or a near-term caution. SEC filing: SEC Filing – Insider Sales

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.