Waste Management (NYSE:WM) Given New $231.00 Price Target at Oppenheimer

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) had its price target increased by Oppenheimer from $230.00 to $231.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the business services provider’s stock.

WM has been the topic of several other reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Waste Management from $204.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Argus increased their price target on Waste Management from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Waste Management from $213.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Waste Management from $226.00 to $216.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Waste Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.11.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of WM stock opened at $220.44 on Tuesday. Waste Management has a 1 year low of $168.73 and a 1 year high of $225.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $209.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $209.06. The company has a market cap of $88.48 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.74.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The business services provider reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.07. Waste Management had a return on equity of 39.88% and a net margin of 12.35%. The business had revenue of $5.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.63 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Waste Management will post 7.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th were paid a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.36%. Waste Management’s payout ratio is presently 45.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.47, for a total transaction of $66,795.70. Following the sale, the director now owns 3,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $834,946.25. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waste Management

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WM. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 94,414.4% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,591,584 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $538,013,000 after buying an additional 2,588,842 shares during the period. Sustainable Growth Advisers LP acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 1st quarter valued at about $300,594,000. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 44.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,226,869 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $900,957,000 after buying an additional 1,303,466 shares during the period. Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management in the 1st quarter valued at about $193,955,000. Finally, Wulff Hansen & CO. lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 20,402.6% in the 2nd quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 868,080 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $185,196,000 after buying an additional 863,846 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.40% of the company’s stock.

Waste Management Company Profile

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.