Gamco Investors INC. ET AL Sells 5,683 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lowered its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 4.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 132,513 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 5,683 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $29,263,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Waste Management by 1.3% in the third quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,853 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $851,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group lifted its position in shares of Waste Management by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 801 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $177,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Mendel Money Management grew its stake in Waste Management by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Mendel Money Management now owns 2,903 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $641,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in Waste Management by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,419 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canton Hathaway LLC raised its position in Waste Management by 0.5% during the third quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 9,644 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,130,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $246.24 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $227.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $220.00. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $99.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.57. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $248.13.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $6.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.945 dividend. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.25%.

Key Headlines Impacting Waste Management

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/coverage bullishness and thesis: Multiple recent write-ups argue WM remains a buy/retain due to its scale, dependable cash flows and margin expansion opportunities tied to Stericycle integration and network optimization. That supportive analyst tone can lift demand. Reasons Why You Should Retain Waste Management Stock for Now
• Positive Sentiment: Renewables and pricing tailwinds: Coverage highlights Waste Management’s push into landfill-gas-to-renewable projects and steady pricing power across collection and disposal — factors that support earnings durability and multiple expansion. Zacks: Retain Waste Management
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: WM raised its quarterly dividend to $0.945 (annualized $3.78), raising yield and signaling confidence in cash flow — a concrete positive for income-focused investors. MarketBeat: Dividend and Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: “Tariff-proof”/defensive flows: WM appears on lists of defensive, tariff-resistant stocks institutional investors are favoring amid macro uncertainty — supportive but not company-specific. 247WallSt: Tariff-Proof Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Bull thesis summaries and comparisons: Several outlet pieces and substack notes summarize bullish rationales and compare WM vs peers (MEG), useful for positioning but not immediate catalysts. Yahoo: Bullish Thesis Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Small Q4 miss: WM reported $1.93 EPS vs. $1.95 expected and revenue of $6.31B vs. $6.39B consensus — the miss is modest but reminds investors growth isn’t perfectly linear and can cap upside near-term. MarketBeat: Earnings & Analyst Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Recent insider sales (SVP Johnson Varkey and an executive sale reported by AmericanBankingNews) could be viewed as a near-term negative signal, increasing supply and adding caution for some investors. InsiderTrades: SVP Sale AmericanBankingNews: Executive Sale

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In related news, SVP Johnson Varkey sold 617 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $244.13, for a total transaction of $150,628.21. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,607 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,345,356.91. This trade represents a 6.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 12,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.48, for a total value of $2,847,055.12. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 6,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,406,483.52. This trade represents a 66.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 85,548 shares of company stock valued at $19,984,913. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WM. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price target (down from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $223.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.55.

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.