Waste Management, Inc. (WM)

Over the past six months, Waste Management's stock has experienced several notable events. As of February 5, 2026, the stock price increased by 4.20% in the past month and 0.91% over the last 12 months. On January 28, 2026, Waste Management reported its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings, which saw a slight miss on analyst expectations, leading to a 3.55% decline in the stock price in after-hours trading. Despite the quarterly miss, the company reported strong full-year operational performance for 2025. In February 2026, WM announced plans to acquire Waste Resources in California. There were reports of a cluster of insider sales around January 30, 2026. The stock's 52-week high was $242.58 on June 3, 2025, and its 52-week low was $194.11 on November 3, 2025.

Waste Management's core business is considered "recession-resistant." The company anticipates revenue growth throughout the year, with a "typical quarterly cadence of operating EBITDA contributions." However, there can be instances of abnormal seasonality, such as a potential boost in Q2 revenue due to events like the LA wildfires. The company's core business showed strong demand recovery in March and April after weather disruptions.

Waste Management, Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management and environmental services in North America, operating within the environmental services sector and playing a critical role in the circular economy. The company's core business involves essential waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its services include weekly curbside trash and recycling collection, bulk trash pickup, regulated waste collection, roll-off dumpster rental, specialized waste collection, recycling brokerage, landfill gas-to-energy facilities, and sustainability advisory services.

Waste Management, Inc. serves approximately 50 million customers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company has extensive infrastructure, including over 250 landfills in the U.S. and Canada, 337 transfer stations, 97 recycling plants, 135 beneficial-use landfill gas projects, and six independent power production plants. It operates the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry with 26,000 collection and transfer vehicles.

Waste Management has maintained a positive brand reputation over the past year, particularly in its commitment to sustainability and community engagement. The WM Phoenix Open has been certified as a zero-waste event for the past 13 years. The company has been recognized for leadership in corporate sustainability by CDP. WM's focus on sustainability is further demonstrated by its investment of over $3 billion from 2022 through 2026 in sustainability growth investment plans.

Waste Management, Inc. has a high level of institutional ownership, with 84% of the company held by institutions. As of February 5, 2026, there are 2,873 institutional owners and shareholders holding a total of 349,750,338 shares. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, and State Street Corp.