Why Waste Management stock moves
Waste Management fell sharply, moving against the market.
Written after the close on ·
Updated 02:00 with news that came after the close
Why today
16,437 news analyzed todayWaste Management fell sharply, moving against the market.
No company news explains the move, which is probably mostly a stock-specific selloff after a strong run.
Over the last five trading days the stock rose slightly while the S&P 500 and the Industrials sector both fell clearly.
Shares of rival Republic Services also rose sharply into November, so the stock had gained a lot recently.
Today's move of −2.08% was 2.5 times a normal day's 0.8%. S&P 500 moved +0.31% on the same day.
Waste Management −2.08%S&P 500 +0.31%Against the market
What analysts expect, and how often they have been right
Analysts’ estimates for Waste Management.
Waste Management earned more than expected in 4 out of 8 reports.
For comparison, about 82% of reports from US companies beat the estimate in the last three years.
The share moved in the same direction as the earnings surprise in 5 out of 8 reports with a measured move, against about 55% of reports from US companies.
Ratings
Price targets
Latest price $236.26
Earnings against expectations, and the share’s reaction
Expected EPSAbove estimateBelow estimateAs expected$
Next reported quarter: expected earnings per share of $2.08 (January 27). For the current fiscal year, expected earnings per share changed from $8.13 three months ago to $8.10 now. 2026 estimate: $8.10. 2027 estimate: $8.95.
Has the share price followed the business?
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 2 out of 3 years. Across US companies, that happens in about 65% of years. In 2025, the price changed +9% and earnings per share −2%.
Revenue, profit and market cap
RevenueProfitMarket capHatched bars: analysts’ estimates.$B
Assets, liabilities and market cap
AssetsLiabilitiesMarket cap$B
Price and earnings moved in the same direction: 2 out of 3 years.Market cap (Now): $93.9BRevenue 2025: $25.2B
What the key figures say about Waste Management
The figures connect what Waste Management earns with what investors pay.
The line shows the share price in the same year, on its own scale. Hatched bars: analysts’ estimates.
Profit divided by the number of shares. Each share represents this much of the earnings.
2022–2025: $5.39–$6.81. Peers: Tomra Systems 3.46 NOK, 3M Company $6.70, United Parcel Service $5.19. 2026 estimate: $8.10 ($7.91–$8.68). 2027 estimate: $8.95 ($8.35–$9.99).
What the company sold during the year.
2022–2025: $19.7B–$25.2B. Peers: Tomra Systems 1.5 bn EUR, 3M Company $25.2B, United Parcel Service $91.4B. 2026 estimate: $26.5B ($26.4B–$26.5B). 2027 estimate: $27.9B ($27.5B–$28.2B).
The percentage of revenue left after the costs of running the business.
2022–2025: 17.4%–18.8%. Peers: Tomra Systems 10.5%, 3M Company 20.1%, United Parcel Service 7.1%.
Profit as a percentage of shareholders’ money in the company.
2022–2025: 27.1%–33.4%. Peers: Tomra Systems 15.8%, 3M Company 73.0%, United Parcel Service 28.6%.
The price investors pay for each unit of annual earnings per share. Not shown for a loss.
2022–2025: 29.1–32.8. Peers: Tomra Systems 28.8, 3M Company 27.6, United Parcel Service 20.9. 2026 estimate: 29.2. 2027 estimate: 26.4.
What investors pay for each unit the company sells.
2022–2025: 3.25–3.67. Peers: 3M Company 3.79, United Parcel Service 1.01. 2026 estimate: 3.55. 2027 estimate: 3.37.
Money paid to shareholders per share, summed by calendar year.
2017–2025: $1.70–$3.30.
The ordinary yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price.
2022–2025: 1.5%–1.7%. Peers: Tomra Systems 2.2%, 3M Company 1.7%, United Parcel Service 6.1%.
Net debt divided by operating earnings before depreciation and amortisation.
2022–2025: 2.74–3.71. Peers: Tomra Systems 2.45, 3M Company 1.26, United Parcel Service 1.94.
More key figures
Market cap divided by shareholders’ equity, what remains after liabilities.
2022–2025: 8.86–10.42. Peers: 3M Company 23.18, United Parcel Service 6.15.
Market cap plus net debt, divided by operating earnings. This includes debt.
2022–2025: 23.9–25.8.
Cash left after investments, divided by the number of shares.
2022–2025: $4.54–$6.99. Peers: Tomra Systems 0.79 EUR, 3M Company $5.18, United Parcel Service $7.46.
The percentage of assets financed by shareholders’ equity.
2022–2025: 18.5%–21.8%.
The dividend explained
A dividend is money paid to shareholders. Waste Management paid $3.66 per share in the twelve months through November 6, 2026.
On the ex-dividend day, September 11, 2026, Waste Management traded without the right to the $0.94 dividend. The price went from $214.77 to $213.46; including the dividend, the day's change was −0.2%. Entitlement passes from the company to shareholders on the ex-day; payment comes later.
2017: $1.702018: $1.862019: $2.052020: $2.182021: $2.302022: $2.602023: $2.802024: $3.002025: $3.302026 so far: $2.83
What to watch next, and why
The earnings report shows how Waste Management's revenue and profit have changed.
- Earnings report
The earnings report shows how Waste Management's revenue and profit have changed.
Add to calendar
Earnings report
Next report: · Add to calendar · Google Calendar
On its last 15 report days Waste Management usually moved about 4.0%. On a normal day it moves 0.8%.
−4.52% Why? −1.17% +1.30% −3.66%
$10,000 in Waste Management bought on November 7, 2016 is worth $43,600 today, with dividends reinvested.
The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
What would $10,000 in Waste Management be worth today? →
What would $10,000 in Waste Management be worth today?
$43,600
with dividends reinvested, bought on November 7, 2016. The same amount in S&P 500 with dividends would have become $40,400.
The five biggest days of the journey
· −11.1% · the whole market fell 9.5% the same day
· −10.6% · the whole market fell 2.9% the same day
· +9.0% · the whole market rose 6.0% the same day
· −8.0% · the whole market fell 0.5% the same day · report day
· +7.8% · the whole market rose 0.9% the same day · report day
Earlier days
+1.17% market −4.41% Waste Management rose clearly without company news. Read →
Waste Management rose clearly without company news.
The S&P 500 fell very sharply over the same days, so WM moved against the market.
Over the last five trading days WM rose sharply while the S&P 500 and the Industrials sector ETF both fell sharply.
The move looks company-specific, with no clear catalyst in the news, and the trading volume was around its usual level.
Shares near their yearly high can attract buyers after a market slump.
+1.63% market +1.65% Waste Management rose with the market. Read →
Waste Management rose with the market.
Over the same day the S&P 500 also rose sharply, so the stock moved in line with the broad market.
The sector ETF fell clearly, so Waste Management moved against its sector.
Over the last five trading days the stock rose very sharply, while the S&P 500 fell slightly and the sector was roughly flat.
That is a big move for Waste Management, about three times a normal five-day stretch, and moves this large happened about six times in the past year.
−1.28% market +0.30% Waste Management fell clearly. Read →
Waste Management fell clearly.
Waste Management fell, moving against the S&P 500 and the Industrials sector, which both rose.
Company news from that session, such as a flood-related suspension of collection in Indian River County, is minor and unlikely to explain a move of this size.
Over the last five trading days, the stock was roughly unchanged while the S&P 500 fell clearly, so it held up better than the market.
The session's drop was not clearly explained by company news, so the cause is unclear.
+1.82% market −0.48% Waste Management rose, against a slightly falling S&P 500. Read →
Waste Management rose, against a slightly falling S&P 500.
Company news in that session was mostly commentary and analyst opinions, so no single event clearly explains the jump.
Over the last five trading days the stock fell slightly, in line with a clearly weaker S&P 500, while the Industrials sector ETF rose slightly.
Watch the next earnings report on Wednesday 27 January 2027.
+1.10% market −1.77% Waste Management rose, against a falling market. Read →
Waste Management rose, against a falling market.
Its quarterly revenue beat expectations, though adjusted earnings per share came in slightly below estimates.
Analysts, including UBS, raised their price targets, the price they see as fair, and the stock rose that day.
Over the last five trading days, Waste Management fell more than the S&P 500, while its sector ETF rose.
The likely drivers are the reaction to results and analyst updates, not one new event.
+2.55% market −0.38% Waste Management Rises on Analyst Price Target Raises. Read →
Waste Management Rises on Analyst Price Target Raises.
Waste Management rose very sharply in the last session, moving against a slightly lower S&P 500 and clearly beyond its Industrials sector.
The move came with several analysts raising their price targets, the share prices they see as fair, after the third-quarter report.
Barclays and JP Morgan lifted theirs, and Stifel reiterated its rating on pricing strength, which likely fuelled buying.
Over the last five trading days the stock fell sharply, while the S&P 500 rose slightly and the sector ETF rose clearly.
−4.52% market +0.34% Waste Management fell very sharply. Read →
Waste Management fell very sharply.
Its move was very big, several times a normal day, and it came on heavier trading than usual, and on its usual report-day swing.
Earnings released in the last session were in line with expectations, with revenue up and cash flow strong, yet the shares still slid, so the report itself is the most likely driver.
Some investors may have been disappointed by the results and the CEO transition, and the stock had traded at a high valuation going into the report.
Over the last five trading days the stock fell clearly while the S&P 500 and its sector were roughly flat.
−2.16% market +0.56% Waste Management fell sharply, without company news. Read →
Waste Management fell sharply, without company news.
The stock moved against a market that rose clearly, and against a sector that rose slightly.
Its results missed analysts' estimates on earnings per share, though revenue beat expectations, so the earnings miss likely drove the drop.
Over the last five trading days, the stock rose clearly while the broad market was roughly flat.
Learn more · Why do stocks go up and down?