Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the twenty-two research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $203.75.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $205.00 price objective (up from $200.00) on shares of Waste Connections in a report on Monday, January 5th. Barclays set a $176.00 target price on Waste Connections and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce set a $208.00 price target on Waste Connections in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Waste Connections from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $205.00 target price on Waste Connections and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th.

Waste Connections Stock Up 0.5%

NYSE WCN opened at $170.75 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. Waste Connections has a fifty-two week low of $155.65 and a fifty-two week high of $201.66. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $168.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.65. The stock has a market cap of $43.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.62.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.37 billion. Waste Connections had a net margin of 11.37% and a return on equity of 16.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.16 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Waste Connections will post 5.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 25th. Waste Connections’s dividend payout ratio is 33.57%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Connections

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WCN. City Holding Co. bought a new position in shares of Waste Connections during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Waste Connections during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new position in Waste Connections in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Connections in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Connections by 346.2% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.09% of the company’s stock.

About Waste Connections

Waste Connections (NYSE: WCN) is a North American integrated waste services company that provides a range of solid waste and environmental services to municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company offers collection, transportation, transfer, disposal and recycling services, and operates an extensive network of transfer stations and disposal facilities. Waste Connections positions itself as a provider of infrastructure-driven waste solutions across many regions of the United States and Canada.

The company’s operating activities include routine curbside and commercial collection, roll-off and container services, operation of landfills and transfer stations, and recycling and resource recovery programs.