Waste Management, Inc. $WM Position Reduced by APG Asset Management N.V.

APG Asset Management N.V. lessened its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 1.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 440,575 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 7,000 shares during the period. APG Asset Management N.V.’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $97,292,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Waste Management by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $851,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group lifted its stake in Waste Management by 6.7% during the third quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 801 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $177,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Mendel Money Management lifted its stake in Waste Management by 1.8% during the third quarter. Mendel Money Management now owns 2,903 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $641,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 1.2% in the second quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,419 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,011,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, Canton Hathaway LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 0.5% during the third quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 9,644 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,130,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In related news, CEO James C. Fish, Jr. sold 30,390 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.36, for a total transaction of $7,000,640.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 225,793 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $52,013,675.48. The trade was a 11.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO John A. Carroll sold 1,021 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.71, for a total transaction of $239,638.91. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 8,309 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,950,205.39. This trade represents a 10.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 62,820 shares of company stock worth $14,487,482 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Waste Management in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Key Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broader market/industry tailwind — a report highlights long-term growth in the healthcare waste-management market, which supports demand for regulated waste services and can benefit large, diversified providers like WM. Healthcare Waste Management Market Size
• Positive Sentiment: Price momentum since earnings — investor notes point out WM has rallied since its last quarterly report, prompting discussion of whether that momentum can continue (supports short-term buying interest). Zacks: WM Up Since Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance debate — a Barchart piece notes WM has lagged the S&P 500 over the past year but reports analysts remain moderately optimistic; this frames the stock as undervalued by some and fairly valued by others. Is WM Underperforming the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector peer activity — news of contract wins at smaller regional waste/cleaning firms highlights steady demand in services markets but has limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals. Primech Contract Wins
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CAO John A. Carroll sold 37 shares (small dollar amount) in a disclosed SEC filing; while the size is minor, insider sales can create short-term sentiment pressure. CAO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — WM’s CFO David L. Reed also sold 37 shares (disclosed in SEC filing); again small in size but contributes to the narrative of insider trimming. CFO Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional reduction — Aster Capital significantly trimmed its WM stake (reported reduction), a data point that can amplify selling pressure from funds rebalancing. Aster Capital Reduces Position
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation critique — analysis on Seeking Alpha calls WM a reliable dividend name but argues the stock trades at a premium, highlighting valuation as a potential restraint on further multiple expansion. Seeking Alpha: Dividend Darling, But Premium Stinks

Waste Management Stock Up 2.9%

Waste Management stock opened at $240.78 on Friday. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $242.58. The stock has a market cap of $97.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.94, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.58. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $225.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $219.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted 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). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The company had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.70 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.