Analysts Set Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) Price Target at $226.05

Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong 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 $226.11.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WM shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $213.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $226.00 to $216.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Waste Management from $213.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Argus increased their price objective on Waste Management from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Finally, William Blair started coverage on Waste Management in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company.

Insider Transactions at Waste Management

In other news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 310 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.47, for a total value of $66,795.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $834,946.25. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Waste Management in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Fairway Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Waste Management by 62.9% during the 2nd quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 171 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new position in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Waste Management in the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Waste Management by 67.2% in the second quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 199 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waste Management Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:WM opened at $224.12 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $210.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $209.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Waste Management has a 12-month low of $168.73 and a 12-month high of $226.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.74.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.07. Waste Management had a return on equity of 39.88% and a net margin of 12.35%. The firm had revenue of $5.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.63 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.34%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.87%.

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns and operates transfer stations, as well as owns, develops, and operates landfill facilities that produce landfill gas used as renewable natural gas for generating electricity.