Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target Raised to $220.00 at BMO Capital Markets

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price target increased by BMO Capital Markets from $213.00 to $220.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has a market perform rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on WM. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $215.00 to $204.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Waste Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Waste Management to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $226.00 to $216.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, CIBC dropped their price target on shares of Waste Management from $223.00 to $213.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waste Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $225.28.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of WM stock opened at $214.95 on Wednesday. Waste Management has a one year low of $162.03 and a one year high of $225.00. The company’s 50-day moving average is $209.14 and its 200 day moving average is $208.72. The company has a market capitalization of $86.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.07. Waste Management had a net margin of 12.13% and a return on equity of 39.52%. The company had revenue of $5.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.63 EPS. Waste Management’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management will post 7.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were paid a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 47.69%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 170.5% during the first quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 119 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Fairway Wealth LLC raised 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. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management in the second quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

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.