Hello, Thanks for signing up for MarketBeat Daily Ratings—we’re excited to have you on board. Every weekday, you’ll get a curated summary of new “Buy” and “Sell” ratings from Wall Street’s top-rated analysts, the latest stock news, and bonus investing content—all delivered straight to your inbox. You’re just two quick steps away from completing your sign-up: 1. Make sure our emails go to your inbox Gmail users:
Mobile: Tap the three dots (…) in the top right and select Move to Inbox or Move to Primary
Desktop: Click the folder icon at the top and select Move to Inbox or Primary Apple Mail users:
Tap our email address at the top (next to From: on mobile), then select Add to VIP Other providers:
Reply to this message and add newsletters@analystratings.net to your contacts 2. Confirm your subscription Click this link to confirm your subscription. This verifies your account and ensures you receive your newsletters without interruption instead of getting stuck in your spam filter. Confirm your subscription here. After you confirm, feel free to download our popular free report, "7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever" with this link. Thanks again for subscribing—we look forward to being part of your investing journey. 
Matthew Paulson
Founder and CEO, MarketBeat. P.S. If you didn’t mean to subscribe, no problem—you can unsubscribe here.
Featured Content from MarketBeat.com Waste Management's "Boring" Business Is Powering a Quiet RallyAuthor: Thomas Hughes. Originally Published: 1/30/2026. 
What You Need to Know - Waste Management’s Q4 results missed estimates, but revenue growth and margin expansion stayed on track with long-term trends.
- Free cash flow is expected to accelerate, supporting a mix of dividend growth and a planned return to share repurchases.
- The stock remains in an uptrend after the post-earnings pullback, with buyers likely to defend key moving-average support.
Waste Management (NYSE: WM) is no waste of time: its high-quality operations are being driven by rising demand for waste and recycling services. Economic activity is solid and consumption remains high — that creates more waste, which is a profitable business and an industry expected to keep expanding. On September 14th, 2023, something big happened that didn't make the news. The price gap between London gold and Shanghai gold blew out to $120 an ounce. For years, that gap was a few dollars, maybe $5 or $10. A 20x jump in seconds isn't a glitch, it's the system breaking. Traders tried to buy gold in London to sell in Shanghai, but hit a wall. The London vaults were empty. Since that day, gold has hit 53 all-time highs. One stock is positioned to capture the bulk of this wealth transfer. See the full story on this opportunity now. Fourth-quarter results may have left the market wanting more, but the important factors are steady growth, margin improvement, strong cash flow and the capacity for capital returns. Waste Management isn't growing explosively, yet it is growing, margins are widening, and capital returns are accelerating. Dividend Growth and Buybacks Support WM’s Shareholder-Return Outlook On track for inclusion in the Dividend Aristocrats, Waste Management has raised its dividend for 23 consecutive years and is positioned to reach the 25-year threshold for inclusion in 2028. That milestone could boost investor interest by underscoring the company's cash-flow stability. The dividend yield is about 1.45% in early 2026, with a payout ratio near 49% of forecasted earnings and the dividend itself growing at a double-digit rate. Highlights from the Q4 release included a 14% dividend increase and an announcement of intent to resume share buybacks. Buybacks were paused in 2024 so the company could focus on debt reduction after a material acquisition; Q4 results indicate it is approaching its target leverage levels. Company guidance assumes roughly $2 billion in buybacks this year — more than 2% of market capitalization — which should more than offset dilution from share-based compensation. The balance sheet also shows higher assets, lower net debt and a roughly 20% increase in equity by the end of 2025. Waste Management Falls Short of Estimates in Q4 Waste Management's Q4 2025 results missed analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines by roughly one percentage point. Still, revenue rose 7.1% and margins expanded, consistent with the long-term trends that support the stock. Strength was evident in the core legacy business and in a newer, healthcare-related segment that remains a small part of overall revenue. Earnings quality benefited from revenue leverage and operational improvements, including productivity gains tied to AI and automation. Adjusted earnings increased 11.7%, providing the cash flow needed to sustain operations and return capital to shareholders. Guidance was modestly conservative. While below some market expectations, management forecast about 5% revenue growth alongside margin expansion and robust free-cash-flow gains. Free cash flow is expected to accelerate about 30%, which underpins the company's capital-return plans. Given the business momentum and potential economic tailwinds this year, there is a reasonable chance results will outperform guidance. The analyst response has been generally positive. Bank of America raised its price target to a near-consensus $245, reinforcing the uptrend in sentiment. Overall, 26 analysts rate the stock a consensus Moderate Buy, implying roughly an 11% upside to the consensus target and a larger gain if it reaches higher-end forecasts. Waste Management Amid Trend-Following Movement After the Q4 release and guidance update, WM pulled back, but the decline did not break the prevailing uptrend. The market appears to be in a trend-following phase, with buyers likely to step in around key moving averages. 
The main risk is a slide below the 150-day EMA, which could trigger a deeper sell-off, though that outcome is viewed as less likely. Institutional investors have been accumulating shares and are probable buyers on pullbacks. The more likely path is for WM to find support near $220, retest resistance at its all-time high and potentially move higher from there.
| 
Post a Comment
Post a Comment