Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Analysts

Shares of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, fourteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $198.61.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WCN shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Waste Connections from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Barclays boosted their price target on Waste Connections from $180.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce set a $184.00 price target on Waste Connections and gave the stock an “outperformer” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Waste Connections from $195.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Waste Connections from $205.00 to $195.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert Cloninger sold 2,811 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.02, for a total transaction of $480,737.22. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,666 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,995,119.32. This represents a 19.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Philip Rivard sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.57, for a total transaction of $416,425.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 734 shares in the company, valued at $122,262.38. This trade represents a 77.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WCN. Evolve Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Waste Connections during the second quarter valued at about $1,022,000. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waste Connections during the second quarter valued at approximately $12,398,000. Varenne Capital Partners bought a new stake in Waste Connections in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,714,000. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Waste Connections by 68.1% in the 2nd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 15,966 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,661,000 after acquiring an additional 6,470 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Waste Connections in the 2nd quarter worth $2,315,000. 86.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Connections Stock Performance

Shares of Waste Connections stock opened at $168.51 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $160.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.42. Waste Connections has a 12 month low of $146.89 and a 12 month high of $179.74.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The business services provider reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $2.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.60 billion. Waste Connections had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 17.31%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Waste Connections will post 5.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Connections News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter earnings and revenue beat estimates. Waste Connections reported adjusted EPS of $1.58, above the $1.52 Zacks consensus and $1.54 FactSet estimate. Revenue reached approximately $2.64 billion, exceeding estimates near $2.60-$2.61 billion. Waste Connections Beats Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year outlook. Improving landfill volumes, stronger operational execution and commodity-related revenue supported what the company described as another broad-based quarterly beat. Solid-waste unit volumes improved sequentially by 70 basis points, led by increased landfill activity. Waste Connections Reports Third Quarter Results and Raises Full-Year Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash generation remained strong. Third-quarter revenue increased about 7.3% year over year to $2.6 billion in one reported measure, while operating profit rose 23.2% and net income attributable to common shareholders increased 25.5% to $359.2 million. Operating cash flow was $691.9 million.
• Positive Sentiment: The quarterly dividend was increased 10%. The dividend rose from $0.350 to $0.385 per share, with payment scheduled for November 19, 2026, signaling confidence in recurring cash flow. Waste Connections Announces 10 Percent Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan lowered its price target to $180. Although the target remains above recent trading levels, the reduction may have limited enthusiasm following the earnings release. JPMorgan Cuts Target to $180
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and insider activity may weigh on the stock. WCN trades at roughly 31 times earnings, while recent reported insider transactions were dominated by sales, which could reinforce concerns that expectations are already elevated.

About Waste Connections

Waste Connections, Inc is a North American provider of solid waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial and construction customers, offering scheduled and on-demand collection as well as waste management solutions tailored to municipalities and businesses.

Its operations include local collection fleets, transfer stations, recycling and resource-recovery facilities, and landfills. Waste Connections also provides non-hazardous oilfield waste services, including the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste generated by energy-production activities.

Founded in 1997, Waste Connections has grown through a combination of internal development and acquisitions.