Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) draws fresh institutional inflows, a reaffirmed “Moderate Buy” analyst consensus and new recycling initiatives as of 16 November 2025.
Houston / New York – 16 November 2025 – Waste Management, Inc. (WM), North America’s largest trash, recycling and environmental‑services company, is back in the spotlight this weekend after a flurry of analyst notes and institutional filings hit the tape.
On Sunday, multiple new 13F updates and research pieces published by MarketBeat and other outlets show big money largely adding to WM, even as the stock trades about 14% below its 52‑week high following a slightly under‑consensus third‑quarter earnings report. [1]
Below is a full rundown of what changed today, 16 November 2025, and how it fits into WM’s broader earnings, dividend and sustainability story.
Analyst view: WM holds a “Moderate Buy” with double‑digit upside
A fresh round‑up from MarketBeat confirms that Wall Street still leans bullish on Waste Management stock.
- Consensus rating: “Moderate Buy” from 28 analysts.
- Breakdown: 10 Hold, 15 Buy and 3 Strong Buy recommendations.
- Average 12‑month price target:$248.25 per share – roughly 19% above Friday’s close around $209.
Valuation is not cheap. MarketBeat and other data providers peg WM at about 32.9x trailing earnings, with a forward P/E near 25.2 and a price‑to‑sales ratio of roughly 3.8. The low beta near 0.6 underlines WM’s reputation as a defensive, utility‑like industrial name. [2]
Adding to the positive backdrop, Wells Fargo initiated coverage on WM with an Overweight rating on 14 November, citing an average price‑target set around $255 per share – nearly 25% above a recent reference price in the mid‑$200s – based on Fintel data re‑published by Nasdaq.
Today’s big story: Institutions shuffle their WM exposure
The busiest part of today’s news flow is a cluster of 13F‑based articles detailing how major funds adjusted their WM stakes in the second quarter.
Funds buying more Waste Management
Several institutional investors disclosed larger positions in WM, signaling continued confidence in the business:
- Sustainable Growth Advisers LP
- Increased its WM stake by 55.5%, adding just over 1.0 million shares in Q2.
- Now owns about 2.90 million shares, roughly 0.72% of WM, worth about $663 million.
- WM is now the firm’s 10th‑largest position, accounting for roughly 3.4% of its portfolio.
- Advisors Capital Management LLC
- Boosted its WM holdings by a huge 482.8%, buying 24,138 additional shares.
- Now controls 29,138 shares valued around $6.67 million.
- Empower Advisory Group LLC
- Increased its stake by 2.1%, adding 9,368 shares in Q2.
- Now owns 462,820 WM shares, about 0.11% of the company, valued near $105.9 million.
- Sculati Wealth Management LLC
- Grew its position by 149.2%, acquiring 2,672 shares.
- Sculati now holds 4,463 shares, valued at just over $1.0 million.
MarketBeat’s coverage repeatedly notes that institutional investors collectively own around 80% of WM’s outstanding stock, underlining the company’s status as a core holding in many diversified portfolios.
A few managers are trimming exposure
Not all flows were in one direction:
- Westwood Holdings Group Inc.
- Reduced its WM stake by 4.2%, selling 13,137 shares.
- Still holds 300,600 shares, worth approximately $68.78 million, representing about 0.07% of WM.
- OmniStar Financial Group Inc.
- Cut its WM holdings by 28.1%, selling 3,113 shares.
- Now owns 7,979 shares valued around $1.83 million, with WM still making up roughly 1.4% of OmniStar’s portfolio as its 18th‑largest holding.
Taken together, today’s filings show broad but not unanimous institutional confidence: several large, long‑only managers have significantly increased their bets on WM, while a smaller number of firms are taking some profits or reallocating.
Dividend update: WM extends its income track record
Income investors also received fresh news this week.
On 13 November 2025, WM’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.825 per share, payable on 19 December 2025 to shareholders of record as of 5 December.
At Friday’s close around $209.17, that payout equates to an annual dividend of $3.30 per share and a yield of roughly 1.6%. [3] According to coverage from Investing.com, WM has raised its dividend for 21 consecutive years, cementing its reputation as a reliable dividend‑growth name in the industrials space.
With a payout ratio just over 50% of earnings, the dividend still leaves room for ongoing capital investment in recycling infrastructure, landfill gas projects and acquisitions.
Earnings backdrop: strong growth, modest miss
Today’s rating and fund‑flow stories sit on top of WM’s third‑quarter 2025 results, released on 27 October.
Key numbers from SEC filings and earnings analyses: [4]
- Revenue: About $6.44 billion, slightly below analyst expectations of around $6.50–6.51 billion, but up roughly 14.9% year‑over‑year.
- GAAP EPS: Approximately $1.49, down from $1.88 a year earlier.
- Adjusted EPS (non‑GAAP): Roughly $1.98, missing consensus by only a few cents (many estimates clustered around $2.01–2.04).
- Operating performance: Operating income near $989 million and operating EBITDA around $1.72 billion, implying a margin in the high‑20s, with core collection and disposal margins setting new records around the high‑30s percentage range.
- Cash flow: WM reported double‑digit growth in cash flow from operations, driven by disciplined pricing, cost control and expanding sustainability businesses.
Management reiterated its full‑year 2025 guidance for earnings and free cash flow, highlighting that the company remains on track with its long‑term financial and sustainability goals despite commodity headwinds and the cost of new projects. [5]
Recycling push: WM now accepts to‑go cups curbside
Beyond the stock market, WM made a high‑impact operational move this week that could affect millions of households and many food‑service brands.
On 12 November 2025, the company announced that plastic to‑go cups made of polypropylene and paper beverage cups are now part of its “universal list” of accepted recyclables in WM‑served curbside programs. [6]
Highlights from the initiative:
- The change allows more U.S. residents to recycle coffee and soft‑drink cups at the curb, instead of sending them to landfill.
- Polypropylene cups are approaching a “Widely Recyclable” designation under the How2Recycle label, which would mean over 60% of U.S. residents can recycle them in curbside programs. [7]
- Paper cups are trending toward “Check Locally” status, signalling that at least 20% of communities already accept them. [8]
- WM says it is executing on plans to invest about $1.4 billion in new recycling infrastructure across North America, upgrading facilities so that more complex packaging can be recycled economically. [9]
The company is partnering with Starbucks, The Recycling Partnership, How2Recycle, the NextGen Consortium and the National League of Cities to update local guidelines and consumer messaging, making it easier for residents to know that cups can now go in the recycling bin in many WM‑served areas. [10]
Sustainability scorecard: climate targets and circular‑economy investments
WM’s cup announcement fits into a much broader sustainability agenda laid out in its 2025 Sustainability Report and Climate Brief.
According to the company’s sustainability site and July 2025 summary: [11]
- From 2022–2026, WM expects to invest more than $3 billion to expand recycling and renewable natural gas (RNG) infrastructure.
- In 2024 alone, WM:
- Upgraded or built 12 recycling facilities and opened five RNG plants.
- Recovered over 16 million tons of material for recycling and processed 3.8 million tons of organics.
- Converted roughly 58 million MMBtu of landfill gas to energy.
- Since 2021, WM has achieved a 22% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse‑gas emissions, on the way to a target of a 42% cut by 2031, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
- The company contributed $27.6 million in charitable giving in 2024, protected 13,500 acres of green space and has positively impacted 2.6 million people since 2022 through social‑impact programs.
These efforts have earned WM spots in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook, Barron’s list of the 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies and JUST Capital’s JUST 100 rankings. [12]
How WM looks for investors right now
Putting all of today’s developments together, here’s how Waste Management stacks up as of 16 November 2025:
- Defensive growth profile: The business continues to post high‑teens revenue growth and expanding cash flows, aided by pricing power and high barriers to entry in U.S. waste and recycling markets. [13]
- Rich but supported valuation: A forward P/E in the mid‑20s and P/S near 3.8 place WM at a premium to many industrial peers, but analysts largely justify it with predictable cash flows, long‑term contracts and a growing sustainability franchise.
- Heavy institutional sponsorship: Today’s filings show major asset managers adding significantly to WM, even as a few trim around the edges. Net‑net, fund data from both MarketBeat and Fintel still show thousands of institutional owners and an average portfolio weight that has inched higher.
- Reliable income stream: With a 21‑year dividend growth streak, a payout ratio just above 50% and a yield around 1.6%, WM continues to appeal to investors seeking a blend of growth and stability rather than high current income.
- Key risks to monitor: Higher interest rates, swings in recycled‑commodity prices, regulatory changes around landfill and waste‑to‑energy projects, and the company’s relatively high debt‑to‑equity ratio (about 2.36) all remain on the risk radar. [14]
For long‑term investors and ESG‑focused funds, today’s news reinforces a familiar picture: Waste Management remains a core, blue‑chip holding in the environmental‑services space, pairing moderate growth and a rising dividend with heavy investment in recycling and climate solutions.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice. Always do your own research or consult a licensed professional before making investment decisions.
References
1. www.barchart.com, 2. www.barchart.com, 3. www.barchart.com, 4. www.tradingview.com, 5. www.gurufocus.com, 6. www.barchart.com, 7. www.barchart.com, 8. www.barchart.com, 9. www.barchart.com, 10. www.barchart.com, 11. mediaroom.wm.com, 12. sustainability.wm.com, 13. www.gurufocus.com, 14. www.barchart.com
