Back to top
Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties. You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies. In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
Image: Bigstock
Waste Management (WM) Shares Gain 29% in a Year: Here's How
Waste Management, Inc. (WM - Free Report) has had an impressive run over the past year. The stock has gained 29%, outperforming the 22.7% and 28.6% growth of the industry it belongs to and the Zacks S&P 500 composite, respectively.
WM has an expected long-term (three to five years) EPS growth rate of 10.6%. WM’s earnings for 2024 and 2025 are expected to grow 17.8% and 9.1%, respectively.
Waste Management, Inc. Price and Consensus
Waste Management, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Waste Management, Inc. Quote
Core Initiatives, Steady Dividends Drive the Stock
Waste Management continues to benefit from increasing environmental concerns, rapid industrialization, increase in population and active government measures to reduce illegal dumping. Its top line increased 5.5% year over year in the first quarter of 2024.
The company’s core operating initiatives target focused differentiation and continuous improvement, and instilling price and cost discipline to achieve better margins. While differentiation through capitalization of extensive assets ensures long-term profitable growth and competitive advantages, cost control, process improvement and enhancements to its digital platform help enhance service quality. WM’s adjusted earnings per share improved 33.6% year over year in the first quarter of 2024.
WM has an expected long-term (three to five years) EPS growth rate of 10.6%. Its earnings for 2024 and 2025 are expected to grow 17.8% and 9.1%, respectively.
WM has a steady dividend, as well as a share repurchase policy. In 2023, 2022 and 2021, the company repurchased shares worth $1.3 billion, $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. It paid $1.1 billion, $1.1 billion and $970 million in dividends in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider
WM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some top-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Business Services sector are Western Union (WU - Free Report) and Nu (NU - Free Report) .
Western Union sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
WU has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 3.9%. It delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.7%, on average.
Nucurrently has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy). It has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 52.4%. NU delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 14%, on average.