Insider Selling: Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) SVP Sells 3,094 Shares of Stock

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 3,094 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.11, for a total transaction of $705,772.34. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 53,663 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,241,066.93. This trade represents a 5.45 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Waste Management Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $230.55 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $214.49. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.59 and a 52 week high of $235.81. The company has a market cap of $92.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The business services provider reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.79 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a return on equity of 37.93% and a net margin of 12.45%. Research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.825 dividend. This is a positive change from Waste Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.43%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.53%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on WM shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Waste Management from $227.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. CIBC raised their target price on Waste Management from $227.00 to $247.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased 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. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $242.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waste Management has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $236.65.

Institutional Trading of Waste Management

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Waste Management by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,866 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $781,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 7,534 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,520,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Waste Management by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,130 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $857,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 6,768 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,366,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Waste Management by 3.9% in the third quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,239 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

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.