Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) Shares Sold by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,356 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 1,253 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $2,980,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Waste Management by 18.4% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 312,618 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $55,990,000 after purchasing an additional 48,549 shares during the period. Trium Capital LLP lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 33.6% in the third quarter. Trium Capital LLP now owns 12,031 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $2,498,000 after acquiring an additional 3,029 shares during the period. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC boosted its position in Waste Management by 18.6% in the 1st quarter. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC now owns 20,099 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $4,284,000 after purchasing an additional 3,145 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 754 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $161,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Norden Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $7,146,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waste Management Trading Down 0.2 %

Waste Management stock traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $212.75. 816,092 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,624,653. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $208.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $208.48. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $153.95 and a fifty-two week high of $225.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.82, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.74.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.82. The firm had revenue of $5.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.43 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 12.13% and a return on equity of 39.52%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.51 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 7.24 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th were given a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.41%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 13th. Waste Management’s payout ratio is 49.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Waste Management from $226.00 to $216.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com lowered Waste Management from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. CIBC reduced their target price on Waste Management from $223.00 to $213.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Friday, October 4th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $220.00 price target on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $215.00 to $213.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Waste Management currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $218.89.

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.