Insider Selling: Waste Management (NYSE:WM) SVP Sells 215 Shares of Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) SVP Christopher Desantis sold 215 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.85, for a total transaction of $47,052.75. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,561 shares in the company, valued at $2,092,424.85. The trade was a 2.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Waste Management Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE WM traded down $0.77 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $221.48. 909,285 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,195,687. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.89. The business’s 50 day moving average is $219.25 and its 200-day moving average is $219.17. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $194.11 and a 12-month high of $242.58.

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

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is 49.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Waste Management from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $225.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised 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. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $270.00 to $263.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $260.00 target price on Waste Management in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Waste Management has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.55.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 8.3% in the fourth quarter. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Oak Harbor Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,805 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $616,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc boosted its stake in Waste Management by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Sawyer & Company Inc now owns 2,620 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $576,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. raised its position in Waste Management by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 142,450 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,298,000 after purchasing an additional 2,022 shares during the period. Finally, CX Institutional increased its holdings in Waste Management by 156.7% in the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 41,692 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $9,160,000 after purchasing an additional 25,448 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Waste Management News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised price targets on WM, with new targets reported in the $235–$270 range, signaling analyst confidence in the company’s outlook and providing upside support for the stock. Price target $270 article Price target $250 article
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings-call takeaways emphasized strong cash flow, solid margins and growth in renewable natural gas (RNG) initiatives — items that support long-term revenue quality and margin expansion. Earnings call highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing / brand exposure: the WM Phoenix Open Pro‑Am drew high‑profile attendees, a one‑off PR benefit that can aid brand recognition but is unlikely to move fundamentals. WM Phoenix Open article
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling disclosed: on Jan. 30 multiple senior executives (CFO, COO, several SVPs/VPs and the CAO/EVP) sold shares in lots generally between ~157–690 shares each, modestly reducing their holdings. Clustered insider sales can create short‑term negative sentiment even if routine (diversification or planned sales). Representative SEC filing: Insider sale filing

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.