Counterweight Ventures LLC Sells 68 Shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM)

Counterweight Ventures LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) by 1.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 6,817 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 68 shares during the quarter. Counterweight Ventures LLC’s holdings in Waste Management were worth $1,454,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WM. DSM Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Capital Wealth Planning LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $86,364,000. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd boosted its position in Waste Management by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 173,782 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $31,124,000 after acquiring an additional 4,199 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted 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 acquiring an additional 48,549 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,673,000. 80.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waste Management Stock Down 1.8 %

WM opened at $204.73 on Friday. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $149.71 and a fifty-two week high of $225.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $82.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.74. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $209.43 and a 200-day moving average of $208.73.

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

Waste Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.47%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Waste Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WM shares. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on Waste Management from $229.00 to $224.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Waste Management from $215.00 to $213.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Waste Management in a report on Friday, June 14th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Waste Management from $215.00 to $204.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Waste Management in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $241.00 price objective for the company. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $215.83.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In related news, VP Michael J. Watson sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $330,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 44,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,711,680. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.