Republic Services Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:RSG)

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 2,371 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 436% compared to the typical volume of 442 call options.

Insider Transactions at Republic Services

In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth bought 478 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $209.46 per share, with a total value of $100,121.88. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,740 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,202,300.40. The trade was a 9.08% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RSG. L2 Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Republic Services by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 908 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Republic Services by 11.3% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 445 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. ANB Bank grew its stake in shares of Republic Services by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. ANB Bank now owns 1,691 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $388,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC increased its holdings in Republic Services by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 7,232 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,783,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its holdings in Republic Services by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 10,454 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,216,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Services Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NYSE RSG opened at $216.75 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $67.10 billion, a PE ratio of 31.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.54. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $215.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.07. Republic Services has a 12-month low of $201.42 and a 12-month high of $258.75.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The business services provider reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.14. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 18.49%. The firm had revenue of $4.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.21 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.58 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Republic Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.200-7.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Republic Services will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.625 per share. This represents a $2.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.20%.

Key Stories Impacting Republic Services

Here are the key news stories impacting Republic Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS topped estimates ($1.76 vs. ~$1.62 consensus), showing profit resilience and margin expansion year‑over‑year. RSG tops Q4 EPS estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance ($7.20–$7.28) that is roughly in line with or slightly above some consensus views, and the company plans ~ $1B of acquisitions — signaling growth intent. PR Newswire: FY2026 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying suggests some traders are betting on a near‑term rebound despite the pullback. (Options volume spike reported Wednesday.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call / transcripts are available for deeper read on volume trends, pricing cadence and margin drivers if you want management color. TipRanks: Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry outlook remains supportive long‑term (defensive demand, ESG/WTE opportunities), but cyclical volume headwinds (e.g., construction weakness) persist. Zacks: Industry outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations (Q4 revenue ~$4.14B vs. ~$4.21B consensus) and management’s revenue/volume commentary signaled softness — a core reason investors are selling. Quiver Quant: Revenue miss and light outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts cut forecasts and price targets after the report, citing the revenue miss and cautious guidance — adding downward pressure on the stock. Benzinga: Analysts slash forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Softer operating cash flow and higher capex/acquisition spending could pressure adjusted free cash flow and limit buybacks going forward — a concern for income/total‑return investors. MarketBeat: Cash flow & guidance analysis

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $240.00 target price on Republic Services in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Republic Services from $271.00 to $241.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Republic Services from $260.00 to $233.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 31st. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Republic Services from $256.00 to $255.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $257.00 to $251.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.62.

Republic Services Company Profile

Republic Services, Inc is a leading provider of non-hazardous solid waste and recycling services in the United States. The company offers a broad range of waste management solutions to residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers, positioning itself as a full-service partner for everyday waste collection as well as specialized disposal needs.

Republic’s core operations include curbside and commercial collection, transfer and hauling, materials recovery and recycling facilities, and landfill disposal.