Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $252.00

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $243.00 to $252.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective points to a potential upside of 17.50% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Waste Management from $213.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Waste Management from $230.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $204.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Waste Management in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $220.00 price target for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $230.72.

Waste Management Price Performance

Waste Management stock opened at $214.47 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.89. Waste Management has a 52 week low of $173.01 and a 52 week high of $230.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $217.44 and a 200-day moving average of $211.35.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.07. Waste Management had a net margin of 12.35% and a return on equity of 39.88%. The business had revenue of $5.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.63 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.47, for a total value of $66,795.70. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $834,946.25. This trade represents a 7.41 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Activest Wealth Management boosted its stake in Waste Management by 4,000.0% during the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 123 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management by 62.9% during the second quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 171 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Waste Management in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Fairscale Capital LLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. boosted its holdings in Waste Management by 51.8% during the 3rd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 211 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.