Prospera Financial Services Inc Grows Stake in Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its stake in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 149.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 45,900 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 27,477 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $10,139,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its position in Waste Management by 101.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 133 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in shares of Waste Management during the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management during the third quarter worth $41,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management in the second quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 47.0% during the 3rd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 244 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. 80.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO David L. Reed sold 270 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.62, for a total value of $59,027.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 8,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,933,256.66. This represents a 2.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Rafael Carrasco sold 690 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $219.01, for a total transaction of $151,116.90. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 22,892 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,013,576.92. This represents a 2.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 43,559 shares of company stock valued at $9,959,299 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.6%

Waste Management stock opened at $231.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.89. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1 year low of $194.11 and a 1 year high of $242.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $220.83 and its 200-day moving average is $219.15. The company has a market cap of $93.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.60, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.58.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The business services provider reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $6.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.39 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.45% and a net margin of 10.74%.The business’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 19th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were paid a $0.825 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on WM shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $232.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Waste Management from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday. DZ Bank assumed coverage on Waste Management in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective (down previously from $254.00) on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waste Management from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waste Management has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.55.

Waste Management News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waste Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly positive on WM, citing steady operations and durable cash flow that support the stock’s premium valuation; analyst sentiment likely helped buy-side interest today. Waste Management Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market/sector headlines (e.g., energy/midstream names) are active but not directly tied to WM’s fundamentals; these macro flows can move sentiment but aren’t a primary driver for Waste Management. Williams Companies Stock Climbs as Investors Focus on Gas Demand
• Negative Sentiment: CEO James C. Fish, Jr. disclosed multiple open-market sales this week totaling 36,753 shares (sales on Feb. 6, 9 and 10) for roughly $8.47M at ~ $230/share, reducing his stake materially in the largest single filing (an ~11.9% cut noted in one filing). Broader coverage also flags ~ $17M of insider selling at Waste Management, which can be interpreted by some investors as a cautionary signal. SEC filing: SEC Filing – Insider Sales — additional coverage: Waste Management Insiders Sell US$17m Of Stock

Waste Management Company Profile

Waste Management, Inc (NYSE: WM) is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.