Waste Management, Inc. (WM)

In the past six months, WM announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.825 per share and has a history of consistent dividend increases. John J. Morris, Jr. was appointed President of WM, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Devina Rankin is set to retire in November 2025. On June 24, 2025, WM hosted an Investor Day where it outlined growth targets through 2027, projecting a 9.4% compound annual growth rate for revenues and an 11.1% CAGR for adjusted operating EBITDA. WM released its Q2 2025 earnings on July 28, 2025, reporting $1.92 earnings per share (EPS), surpassing analyst estimates. Stifel resumed coverage of WM with a "Buy" rating, and Barclays initiated coverage with an "Overweight" rating, while Erste Group downgraded the stock from "Buy" to "Hold". Over the past month, WM's stock price has decreased by 3.32%, but it has shown a 3.72% increase over the last 12 months.

Demand for Waste Management, Inc.'s products and services exhibits some seasonality, influenced by various factors. The waste management industry generally experiences slight seasonality in earnings. Key drivers include population growth and manufacturing and construction activity. Revenue tends to decrease in winter months as construction slows down, while severe weather events can lead to increased volumes. Holidays also contribute to increased waste generation, and the company offers flexible pickup schedules to accommodate the seasonality and peaks of businesses.

Waste Management, Inc. (WM) is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management and environmental services across North America, founded in 1968 and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company provides collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers. WM offers curbside pickup, container rental, and specialized waste stream collection. The company is North America's largest recycler of post-consumer materials, operating a network of 97 recycling plants as of 2023. WM operates 254 active landfill disposal sites and captures landfill gas to convert it into renewable energy. The company also provides hazardous waste management, medical waste disposal, secure information destruction services, environmental remediation services, and sustainability consulting. WM has rebranded to emphasize its growing focus on sustainability and environmental services.

Waste Management, Inc. operates extensively throughout North America, serving nearly 21 million residential, industrial, municipal, and commercial customers in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company has a vast network of facilities, including 337 transfer stations, 254 active landfill disposal sites, 97 recycling plants, 135 beneficial-use landfill gas projects, and six independent power production plants. WM also has the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry, with 26,000 collection and transfer vehicles.

In the past year, Waste Management (WM) has maintained a strong brand reputation, particularly in ethical business practices. On March 6, 2024, Ethisphere recognized WM as one of the 2024 World's Most Ethical Companies® for the 15th time, highlighting its commitment to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs.

Waste Management, Inc. (WM) is primarily owned by institutional shareholders, who hold approximately 80.64% of the company's stock. Retail investors own about 18.29%, while Waste Management insiders hold 1.07%. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, and BlackRock, Inc.