Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Raises Stock Position in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its position in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 56.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 227,846 shares of the business services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 82,150 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund owned 0.06% of Waste Management worth $52,357,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 269.3% in the first quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 13,927 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,200,000 after acquiring an additional 10,156 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 713 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $165,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Waste Management by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Jamison Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 66,691 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $15,325,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. raised its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 33.7% in the 1st quarter. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. now owns 44,034 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $10,119,000 after purchasing an additional 11,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its position in shares of Waste Management by 1,343.1% in the 1st quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 98,451 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $22,623,000 after purchasing an additional 91,629 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of WM opened at $230.19 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $220.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The company has a market capitalization of $92.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.31, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.44. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $248.13.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $6.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.28 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 31.90%. The business’s revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.945 per share. This represents a $3.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 54.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on WM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Waste Management from $273.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Waste Management from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Waste Management from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $255.30.

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.