Michael Watson Sells 17,251 Shares of Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) VP Michael Watson sold 17,251 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.81, for a total transaction of $4,171,464.31. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 44,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,674,944.26. This represents a 28.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of WM stock opened at $243.97 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $98.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.41, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $226.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $219.66. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $194.11 and a 12 month high of $244.88.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). The business 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%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.945 dividend. This is an increase from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 49.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. RHL Group LLC purchased a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 55.3% in the 4th quarter. Financial Network Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: WM raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (14.5% increase), payable March 27 (record March 13), signaling strong cash generation and supporting income-focused buying. WM Announces Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional positions remain a tailwind: recent filings show sizable stakes and new buys by major investors (e.g., Norges Bank noted in coverage), which can support the share price and long-term confidence. MarketBeat WM Overview
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation comparison pieces (MEG vs. WM) have appeared — useful context for value investors but not company-specific catalysts; these analyses may influence longer-term investor preference rather than immediate trading. MEG or WM: Which Is the Better Value Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry noise: a third‑party hazardous‑waste vendor’s anniversary was reported — sector color but limited direct impact on WM fundamentals. All Clean Hazardous Waste Removal Celebrates Over 12 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling over March 2–3: VP Michael J. Watson sold ~17,251 shares (~$4.17M), SVP Tara Hemmer sold 4,818 shares (~$1.17M), and other officers filed smaller sales. Large officer disposals can create short‑term supply and raise questions about timing of sales. Insider Sale SEC Filing (Michael J. Watson)
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlighting multiple executives “unloading” their holdings has been circulated by financial press, which can amplify negative sentiment even if sales are routine or for diversification. Top WM Executives Quietly Unload Millions

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped 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 research report on Wednesday, December 17th. DZ Bank began coverage on Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Waste Management from $236.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target 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 assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.55.

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.