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

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

Waste Management Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:WM opened at $243.36 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $226.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $219.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The firm has a market cap of $98.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.57. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $244.88.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.02). Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The firm had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.70 EPS. Waste Management’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.945 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.25%.

Key Stories Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: WM declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.945 per share payable March 27 (record date March 13). The cash return and the predictable dividend schedule support income-focused demand and reinforce the company’s cash generation narrative. WM Announces Cash Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/peer news: a third‑party hazardous waste vendor celebrated an anniversary — a sector-level item with limited direct impact on WM’s fundamentals or near-term stock movement. All Clean Hazardous Waste Removal Celebrates Over 12 Years
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares on March 2 — including VP Michael J. Watson (17,251 shares at ~$241.81, a ~28.1% cut to his stake) and SVP Tara J. Hemmer (4,818 shares at ~$241.83). Smaller sales were filed by senior executives including the CFO. Large officer sales can create short-term selling pressure or signal portfolio rebalancing; investors will watch whether sales continue. Insider Sale SEC Filing (Michael J. Watson)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WM shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $238.00 to $242.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, DZ Bank began coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WM. Midway Capital Research & Management bought a new stake in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $242,000. S Harris Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $344,000. EJMK Ventures LLC bought a new stake in Waste Management during the fourth quarter worth $638,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $86,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.