Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN – Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the business services provider’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Waste Connections from $154.00 to $155.00 in a report on Monday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Waste Connections from $158.00 to $164.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. Atb Cap Markets raised Waste Connections from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Waste Connections from $158.00 to $153.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their target price on Waste Connections from $152.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $151.75.

Waste Connections Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of Waste Connections stock opened at $134.36 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $132.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.80. Waste Connections has a 1 year low of $113.50 and a 1 year high of $148.20. The firm has a market cap of $34.56 billion, a PE ratio of 41.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The business services provider reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.01. Waste Connections had a return on equity of 14.23% and a net margin of 11.59%. The company had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.83 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Waste Connections will post 4.22 EPS for the current year.

Waste Connections Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Waste Connections’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP David Eddie sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.65, for a total value of $230,605.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 24,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,325,052.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, VP James Little sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.87, for a total value of $611,415.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 29,410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,995,936.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP David Eddie sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.65, for a total value of $230,605.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 24,512 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,325,052.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,700 shares of company stock worth $1,177,955 in the last quarter. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waste Connections

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. West Oak Capital LLC bought a new stake in Waste Connections in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. New Millennium Group LLC bought a new stake in Waste Connections in the second quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Waste Connections in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA lifted its position in Waste Connections by 277.8% in the fourth quarter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA now owns 272 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. lifted its position in Waste Connections by 172.2% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 294 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the company’s stock.

Waste Connections Company Profile

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Waste Connections, Inc engages in the provision of non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, and disposal services. The firm offers its services to residential, commercial, landfill and transfer stations, and industries such as office, apartments multi-family, construction and demolition, property management, retail, restaurant, and manufacturing.