Waste Management, Inc. (WM) – What Are Brokerages Saying About This Stock?

Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $257.89.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Waste Management from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Waste Management from $277.00 to $283.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Thursday. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $263.00 target price on shares of Waste Management in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $252.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of Waste Management stock opened at $233.33 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $217.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $225.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21. The company has a market capitalization of $93.27 billion, a PE ratio of 30.62, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.42. Waste Management has a 12 month low of $194.11 and a 12 month high of $248.13.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The business services provider reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.18 by ($0.03). Waste Management had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 31.97%. The business had revenue of $6.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.98 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Waste Management will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a dividend of $0.9450 per share. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 11th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.61%.

Waste Management News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Waste Management maintained its 2026 outlook and guided revenue and free cash flow toward the high ends of its ranges, reassuring investors that growth remains on track. Waste Management Could Be 9% Undervalued After High End Guidance Reaffirmed
• Positive Sentiment: The healthcare business was a major growth driver, with operating EBITDA reportedly rising 33% year over year. Nine-month free cash flow also increased more than 42%, supporting capital returns and the company’s buyback program. WM Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Healthcare Gains and Volume Pressure
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their targets, including JPMorgan to $260 and Barclays to $283, while retaining overweight ratings. These revisions imply additional upside and reflect confidence in WM’s defensive cash flows and outlook. JPMorgan Waste Management Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming CEO transition is attracting investor attention. Continuity in strategy and execution could support the stock, but leadership changes introduce uncertainty until further details are provided. Waste Management Earnings Call Signals Resilient Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Slowing waste volumes and higher fuel costs are pressuring margins. Earlier reports that WM shares gapped lower and broke below the 200-day moving average reflected the market’s initial disappointment with earnings and operational trends. WM Q3 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Income investors face a longer-term risk: although WM has raised its dividend annually since 2009, persistent volume weakness could constrain future increases. The stock also trades at a relatively premium earnings multiple. Can Waste Management Keep Raising Its Dividend for Decades?

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In related news, CAO John Carroll sold 1,365 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.90, for a total value of $300,163.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $771,629.10. The trade was a 28.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. Balance Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Markowski Investments acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Bogart Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 93.5% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 180 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc, doing business as WM (NYSE:WM), is an environmental services company that provides waste collection, transportation, disposal, recycling and resource-recovery services. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers through a network of collection operations, transfer stations, landfills, recycling facilities and other environmental infrastructure.

WM’s services include curbside and commercial waste collection, construction and demolition debris management, recycling, organics processing and landfill disposal.