LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. Increases Stake in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 22.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,833 shares of the business services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,085 shares during the quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $1,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Republic Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI grew its holdings in Republic Services by 200.0% in the fourth quarter. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 132 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Republic Services in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Republic Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. 57.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Services Price Performance

NYSE:RSG opened at $239.49 on Tuesday. Republic Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $180.91 and a 52 week high of $240.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $74.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $216.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $210.05.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The business services provider reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.21. Republic Services had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 12.74%. The company had revenue of $4.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.41 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.86 EPS for the current year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd will be given a $0.58 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.75%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RSG has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets raised Republic Services from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $211.00 to $238.00 in a research note on Friday, December 6th. CIBC lifted their price target on Republic Services from $217.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Republic Services from $235.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price target on Republic Services from $212.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised Republic Services from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $219.00 to $237.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $234.56.

Insider Activity at Republic Services

In related news, Director Katharine Weymouth sold 1,859 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.27, for a total value of $400,186.93. Following the sale, the director now owns 879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $189,222.33. The trade was a 67.90 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Gregg Brummer sold 6,293 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.20, for a total value of $1,436,062.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 10,416 shares in the company, valued at $2,376,931.20. This represents a 37.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Company Profile

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.