Simplicity Wealth LLC Sells 7,723 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Simplicity Wealth LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 60.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,014 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 7,723 shares during the quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,107,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Waste Management by 0.8% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,662,207 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,617,866,000 after purchasing an additional 292,868 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,647,146 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,972,856,000 after acquiring an additional 126,329 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,390,971 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,232,131,000 after acquiring an additional 74,528 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Waste Management during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,064,206,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 8.6% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 3,596,281 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $804,809,000 after purchasing an additional 284,733 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of WM stock opened at $229.22 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.59. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $242.58. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $217.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.22.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.03). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.35% and a return on equity of 33.00%. The firm had revenue of $6.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.51 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.96 earnings per share. Waste Management’s quarterly revenue was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Investors of record on Friday, December 5th were given a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 51.97%.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $246 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in WM’s upside and providing immediate support for the stock. Wells Fargo raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks previews expect Q4 revenue up ~14.5% to $6.4B and EPS around $1.95, saying Collection and Healthcare segments are driving growth — a beat vs. cyclic worries would likely lift the shares. WM Gears Up to Post Q4 Earnings: Here’s What Investors Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat/other publications continue to profile WM as a defensive, dividend-backed infrastructure play (long runway from landfill/regulatory moats), which supports interest from income-focused investors. Waste Management company overview (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks deeper analysis explores metric-level estimates (like volumes, pricing, fuel and benefit impacts) that will drive Q4 results — useful for parsing beats/misses beyond headline EPS. What Analyst Projections for Key Metrics Reveal About WM Q4 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent market commentary (TipRanks, Zacks market wrap) highlights WM’s resilience and modest upside in technical studies — these pieces can attract momentum flows but are not fundamental catalysts. TipRanks sector piece
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank reiterated a “Sector Perform” stance (keeps coverage steady) — a neutral signal that tempers extreme bullishness but doesn’t add fresh negative pressure. Scotiabank reiterates Sector Perform
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank/other outlets have also been reported as downgrading WM in recent headlines, which creates conflicting analyst signals and can pressure sentiment ahead of results. Scotiabank downgrades Waste Management (MSN)
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays/other reports issued pessimistic price forecasts — coupled with WM’s prior quarterly slight EPS/revenue miss, these bearish calls could weigh on shares if the Q4 print or guidance disappoints. Barclays issues pessimistic forecast

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $256.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $238.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $251.19.

Waste Management 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.