BMO Capital Markets Increases Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Price Target to $212.00

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price objective hoisted by BMO Capital Markets from $207.00 to $212.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the business services provider’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $215.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday. HSBC downgraded Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $210.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Citigroup upped their target price on Waste Management from $215.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $230.00 to $256.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Waste Management from $211.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $215.88.

Waste Management Price Performance

WM opened at $212.10 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.23. Waste Management has a 1 year low of $149.71 and a 1 year high of $214.54. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $208.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.69. The stock has a market cap of $85.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.71, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.72.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The business services provider reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $5.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 38.61% and a net margin of 11.98%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Waste Management will post 7.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.41%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is currently 49.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Donald J. Smith sold 329 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $198.56, for a total transaction of $65,326.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 5,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,096,448.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Waste Management news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 775 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.58, for a total transaction of $153,899.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 75,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,934,010.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald J. Smith sold 329 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.56, for a total transaction of $65,326.24. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 5,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,096,448.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 18,007 shares of company stock valued at $3,696,520 over the last ninety days. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 170.5% in the 1st quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 119 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Sachetta LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the first quarter worth $35,000. Gilfoyle & Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waste Management in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by 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.