Microsoft sued by Australia competition regulator over Copilot, 365 pricing
Investing.com - Barclays initiated coverage on Waste Management (NYSE:WM), a prominent player in the Commercial Services industry with a market cap of $87.2 billion, with an Overweight rating and a price target of $272.00 on Thursday.
The investment bank cited Waste Management’s compelling growth profile, projecting approximately 9% adjusted EBITDA per share growth for 2026-2027, as a key factor in its positive outlook.
Barclays also highlighted the company’s attractive valuation at 14x next twelve months EV/EBITDA compared to approximately 15.5x for peers, along with what it considers conservative 2027 financial targets.
While acknowledging investor concerns over Waste Management’s growing commodity-exposed earnings stream potentially adding volatility, Barclays believes this risk "remains manageable given a growing share of contracted offtake and strong underlying solid waste performance."
The firm identified several near-term catalysts for the stock, including quarterly earnings that could demonstrate progress toward achieving WM Healthcare Solutions (Stericycle) synergy targets and a potential resumption of share repurchase activity in the first half of 2026.
In other recent news, Waste Management announced a quarterly dividend of $0.825 per share, payable on September 26, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 12, 2025. The company also disclosed that its Chief Financial Officer, Devina Rankin, plans to retire after nearly 23 years, with her transition out of the CFO role expected in November 2025. Additionally, the Management Development and Compensation Committee approved a retention award of $2.1 million in restricted stock units for Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Tara J. Hemmer.
In the realm of analyst ratings, Erste Group downgraded Waste Management from Buy to Hold, attributing the decision to the company’s lowered revenue growth forecast for 2025. Meanwhile, Scotiabank raised its price target for Waste Management to $275, maintaining a Sector Outperform rating following the company’s strong second-quarter performance. This performance was driven by factors such as special waste volumes and sustainability initiatives. These developments reflect ongoing strategic and financial adjustments within the company.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.