Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $264.00 at Oppenheimer

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Oppenheimer from $263.00 to $264.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Oppenheimer’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 20.51% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Waste Management from $246.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. DZ Bank started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Waste Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, National Bankshares cut their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $243.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $252.19.

Waste Management Price Performance

Shares of Waste Management stock traded down $4.05 during trading on Friday, hitting $219.08. 709,908 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,149,203. The stock has a market cap of $88.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.68, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.59. Waste Management has a 52 week low of $194.11 and a 52 week high of $242.58. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $219.14 and its 200-day moving average is $219.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 33.22%. The company’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.70 EPS. Research analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management

In other news, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 1,380 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.06, for a total transaction of $299,542.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 15,540 shares in the company, valued at $3,373,112.40. This trade represents a 8.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,064,206,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its stake in Waste Management by 444.3% in the third quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 2,206,026 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $487,157,000 after buying an additional 1,800,728 shares during the last quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 15,782.4% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,728,486 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $395,512,000 after acquiring an additional 1,717,603 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP raised its position in Waste Management by 55.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP now owns 2,897,636 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $663,037,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,258 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its stake in Waste Management by 218.3% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,369,805 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $302,494,000 after purchasing an additional 939,455 shares during the period. 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: TD Cowen reiterated a Buy and raised the focus on WM’s strong core operations, growing free cash flow and potential upside from the healthcare segment turnaround — a bullish analyst signal that supports upside vs. current levels. Buy Rating on Waste Management
• Positive Sentiment: Company announced a 14% dividend increase and signaled intent to resume buybacks (guidance assumes ~$2B in buybacks), which supports shareholder returns and offsets near‑term disappointment. WM Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary framing WM as a steady, cash-generative business that could keep rallying over time; argues the Q4 miss is not a change to the long‑term thesis (dividends, margin expansion, buybacks). Waste Management’s “Boring” Business Is Powering a Quiet Rally
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors wanting detail on drivers (pricing, volumes, cost trends, healthcare segment commentary). Useful for modeling near‑term recovery vs. guidance. Waste Management, Inc. (WM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed consensus: EPS and revenue were slightly below Street expectations (reported ~$1.93 EPS vs. ~1.95 consensus; revenue ~$6.31B vs. ~$6.39B). The miss prompted the immediate negative market reaction as it cut into near‑term expectations. WM Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction coverage: several outlets report the stock fell after Q4 results and details showing EPS/revenue misses and the company’s guidance left some investors unimpressed. These headlines amplify selling pressure in the short term. Waste Management Stock Falls After Disappointing Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Third‑party fiscal summaries flagged larger-than-expected EPS shortfalls in some feeds (Quiver/aggregate data), noting weaker-than-expected cash & balance sheet line details that can drive closer scrutiny by investors. Waste Management Inc. (WM) stock falls on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research notes long‑term market growth in drilling waste management — a sector snapshot that’s unlikely to move WM’s stock near term but adds context for investors focused on end‑market trends. Solid Control Drilling Waste Management Market Size to Hit $3.23 Billion by 2035
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds (short‑term): winter storms disrupted service in some regions, highlighting near‑term execution risk and potential incremental costs. Winter Storm Disrupts WM Service And Tests Long Term Investment Story

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.