Wells Fargo & Company Issues Positive Forecast for Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Stock Price

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price objective boosted by Wells Fargo & Company from $238.00 to $246.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on WM. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Truist Financial set a $260.00 price objective on Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Waste Management from $234.00 to $223.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. CIBC cut their price target on shares of Waste Management from $235.00 to $231.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, National Bankshares reduced their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $243.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $251.19.

Waste Management Stock Up 0.1%

Waste Management stock opened at $229.22 on Friday. The firm 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. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $217.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $219.22. Waste Management has a 1-year low of $194.11 and a 1-year high of $242.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

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

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.825 dividend. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is presently 51.97%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total value of $299,542.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,373,112.40. The trade was a 8.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Syntegra Private Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in Waste Management by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Syntegra Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,291 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $524,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Trust & Investment Management Co increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.1% in the second quarter. Harbour Trust & Investment Management Co now owns 4,120 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $943,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Old Port Advisors raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Old Port Advisors now owns 16,963 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,727,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. KWB Wealth lifted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. KWB Wealth now owns 3,607 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $835,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, D.B. Root & Company LLC boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 1,603 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $367,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines 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

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.