By otakuyassine3@gmail.com 
Waste Management (NYSE:WM – Free Report) had its target price lifted by Oppenheimer from $231.00 to $237.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the business services provider’s stock.
WM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $255.00 to $238.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Waste Management from $243.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Argus upped 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Waste Management from $213.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Waste Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 4th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $232.61.
View Our Latest Analysis on WM
Waste Management Price Performance
Shares of NYSE WM opened at $220.10 on Friday. Waste Management has a 52 week low of $184.72 and a 52 week high of $230.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $211.36.
Waste Management (NYSE:WM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The business services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.79 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a net margin of 12.45% and a return on equity of 38.88%. On average, equities analysts predict that Waste Management will post 7.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Waste Management Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 6th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.36%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.12%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management
In other news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.47, for a total transaction of $66,795.70. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $834,946.25. The trade was a 7.41 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waste Management
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in Waste Management by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 23,510 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,744,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Chapman Investment Management LLC increased its position in Waste Management by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Chapman Investment Management LLC now owns 23,084 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $4,658,000 after acquiring an additional 1,045 shares during the period. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Waste Management during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $805,000. Callahan Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 163.7% in the 4th quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC now owns 4,937 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $996,000 after purchasing an additional 3,065 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Waste Management by 42.9% during the fourth quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 15,452 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $3,118,000 after purchasing an additional 4,639 shares during the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Waste Management
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.
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