Waste Management Reports Worse Than Expected Q4 Results

• BMO Capital maintains a "Market Perform" rating for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) and raises the price target from $213 to $220.
• WM's Q3 2024 earnings per share reached $1.96, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.86.
• The company's revenue growth across all segments indicates robust performance, with a market capitalization of approximately $87.16 billion.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. The company offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. It competes with other waste management companies like Republic Services and Waste Connections. On October 30, 2024, BMO Capital maintained its "Market Perform" rating for WM, suggesting investors hold their positions. At that time, WM's stock price was around $216.55.

BMO Capital also raised WM's price target from $213 to $220, as highlighted by TheFly. This adjustment reflects confidence in WM's future performance. The company's recent Q3 2024 earnings call, held on October 29, 2024, showcased strong financial results. WM's earnings per share reached $1.96, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.86. This is an improvement from the previous year's $1.63 per share.

WM's revenue growth across all segments indicates robust performance. The company's market capitalization is approximately $87.16 billion, reflecting its significant presence in the industry. Despite a slight decrease in stock price to $217.20, WM's performance remains strong. The stock has fluctuated between $216.31 and $218.86 during the trading day.

The Q3 2024 earnings call featured key company leaders, including CEO Jim Fish and CFO Devina Rankin. Analysts from major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs participated, highlighting the importance of WM's financial performance. The company's strategic initiatives and strong earnings results contribute to the positive outlook reflected in the raised price target.

• Analysts expect Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) to report earnings per share of $1.86 and revenue of $5.51 billion for the third quarter.
• The Collection segment is anticipated to generate $4.1 billion, marking a 17.3% year-over-year increase.
• WM has a history of exceeding earnings expectations, with an average surprise of 7.5% over the last four quarters.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. The company offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. As a major player in the waste management industry, WM competes with companies like Republic Services and Waste Connections. The company is set to release its third-quarter earnings on October 28, 2024.

Analysts expect WM to report earnings per share of $1.86, with projected revenue of approximately $5.51 billion. This represents a 5.8% increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year, as highlighted by Zacks. The growth is likely driven by WM's customer lifetime value model, which has contributed to organic revenue growth. The Collection segment is expected to generate $4.1 billion, marking a 17.3% year-over-year increase.

WM has a history of exceeding earnings expectations, having surpassed estimates in three of the last four quarters with an average surprise of 7.5%. Investors are keen to see if the company can continue this trend, as exceeding expectations could positively impact the stock price. Conversely, failing to meet estimates might lead to a decline in the stock's value.

The company's financial metrics provide insight into its valuation and performance. WM has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 32.62, indicating the price investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings. The price-to-sales ratio is 3.96, reflecting the market value compared to its revenue. Additionally, the enterprise value to sales ratio is 4.75, offering a perspective on the company's valuation relative to its sales.

WM's debt-to-equity ratio is 2.25, showing the proportion of debt used to finance its assets relative to shareholders' equity. The current ratio is 1.07, suggesting the company's ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets. These metrics, along with the earnings yield of 3.07%, provide a comprehensive view of WM's financial health and investment potential.

Ed Cofrancesco's Insights on Teradyne (TER) and Waste Management (WM)

Ed Cofrancesco's insights into Teradyne (TER) and Waste Management (WM) highlight the potential for growth in companies that are leveraging advancements in technology and sustainability. Specifically, Waste Management's recent performance, as detailed in the Schwab Network's publication on April 29, 2024, showcases a company that is not only meeting but in many areas exceeding financial expectations. This performance is particularly noteworthy in the context of the broader market and the specific sectors in which WM operates.

Waste Management's first-quarter earnings for 2024 reveal a company on the rise, with adjusted earnings per share of $1.8 beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.1% and showing a significant year-over-year improvement of 33.6%. This outperformance is a clear indicator of the company's operational efficiency and its ability to grow earnings at a faster rate than many of its peers. Despite a slight miss in total revenues, which came in at $5.2 billion, the company's year-over-year revenue growth of 5.5% is a testament to its solid market position and the increasing demand for its services.

The detailed breakdown of Waste Management's quarterly performance further underscores the company's strengths across its various segments. The Collection segment, as the largest revenue contributor, saw a 4.5% increase to $4.1 billion, indicating robust demand for waste collection services. The Recycling segment, with a 16.6% jump in revenues to $436 million, highlights Waste Management's successful navigation of the recycling market's volatility and its ability to capitalize on higher commodity prices. These segment performances, coupled with a 14.6% increase in adjusted operating EBITDA to $1.5 billion and a significant margin expansion, reflect a company that is not only growing its top line but also improving its profitability.

Financial health is crucial for sustaining growth and returning value to shareholders, and Waste Management's financials show a company in a strong position. Despite a slight decrease in cash and cash equivalents, the company's long-term debt reduction and substantial free cash flow generation of $714 million demonstrate its operational efficiency and financial discipline. The return of $557 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases further illustrates Waste Management's commitment to shareholder value.

The stock's performance, with a 13.3% gain over the past three months, outpacing both the industry and the broader market, reflects investor confidence in Waste Management's growth trajectory and operational excellence. The company's adjusted outlook for 2024, with expected total revenue growth of between 5% and 5.75% and an adjusted operating EBITDA forecast of $6.375-$6.525 billion, signals continued optimism for its future performance. Waste Management's ability to adjust its projections positively in a challenging market environment speaks volumes about its resilience and strategic planning.

Erste Group analysts upgraded Waste Management (NYSE:WM) from Hold to Buy, citing the company's growth strategy and successful integration of acquisitions.

The analysts' comments highlighted Waste Management's dual approach to growth, emphasizing both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. A key example of their successful acquisition strategy is the integration of Advanced Disposal, a competitor, which has been effectively executed.

The analysts also pointed out Waste Management's potential to enhance its operating margin. This improvement is expected to be driven by stringent cost-control measures. Looking ahead, they forecast a significant increase in the company's financial performance. For 2024, sales are projected to grow by approximately 6% year-over-year, while earnings per share are expected to rise by about 13% compared to the previous year. These growth rates, as per Erste’s analysis, are set to surpass the figures achieved in 2023.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) shares were up 3% on Thursday following the company’s reported Q2 results, with EPS of $1.41 coming in better than the consensus estimate of $1.40. Revenue was $5.03 billion, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.84 billion.

Analysts at Oppenheimer see healthy margin expansion in 2023 as increasingly probable, given stronger pricing and underlying CPI trends supporting 2023 price tailwinds, and management indicating internal cost inflation has peaked.

While management did not discount a recession scenario, the analysts believe the current forward volume indicators remain healthy. Contractual constraints are gating a portion of the company's planned automation/productivity investments, but ROI on those investments continues to improve.

The company expects full 2022-year revenue growth of over 10% year-over-year, compared to the prior estimate of 5.8-6.2%. Adjusted operating EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $5.5-$5.6 billion, representing an increase of $175 million from the prior guidance.

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) reported its Q4 results, with adjusted EPS coming in at $1.26, in line with the consensus estimate, and revenue at $4.678 billion, above the consensus estimate of $4.619 billion.

The company expects a 2022 revenue growth of 5.8-6.2%, implying $19,007 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $19,062 million.

According to the analysts at Oppenheimer, the company delivered mixed results/guidance, while laying out an ambitious plan to invest $1.625 billion in recycling/RNG in 2022-2025. The analysts said that Automation has emerged as a vital lever to mitigate labor pressures alongside price, supporting improving margin trends in the back half.