Stephens Consulting LLC Trims Stock Position in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

Stephens Consulting LLC lowered its position in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,359 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 100 shares during the period. Stephens Consulting LLC’s holdings in Republic Services were worth $452,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Republic Services by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,658,978 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $948,971,000 after buying an additional 44,512 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its stake in Republic Services by 416.9% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 6,562,420 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,082,209,000 after buying an additional 5,292,862 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in Republic Services by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,054,359 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $720,297,000 after buying an additional 197,654 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Republic Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $358,837,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in Republic Services by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,604,598 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $228,697,000 after buying an additional 4,376 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.73% of the company’s stock.

Republic Services Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE RSG traded down $0.48 during trading on Friday, hitting $194.34. The company had a trading volume of 4,550,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 995,814. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. Republic Services, Inc. has a one year low of $140.23 and a one year high of $196.76. The company has a market cap of $61.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.68. The company’s fifty day moving average is $188.74 and its 200-day moving average is $181.33.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The business services provider reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.10. Republic Services had a net margin of 11.81% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The business had revenue of $3.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 2nd will be given a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 2nd. Republic Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RSG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $213.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 18th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $211.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Republic Services from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $199.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, March 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Republic Services in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $203.00 price objective for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $209.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $201.14.

Insider Transactions at Republic Services

In other Republic Services news, Director Katharine Weymouth bought 540 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $185.26 per share, with a total value of $100,040.40. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $100,040.40. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CMO Amanda Hodges sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.02, for a total transaction of $1,209,130.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 6,831 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,270,702.62. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Katharine Weymouth acquired 540 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $185.26 per share, for a total transaction of $100,040.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $100,040.40. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

About Republic Services

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.