Waste Management stock holds firm after a $6.68 billion quarter
Published on 08/28/2026 at 08:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Waste Management, Inc. (US94106L1098) entered August 28, 2026 with second-quarter 2026 revenue of $6.68 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.02, while the shares last closed at $221.24 on August 26, 2026.
The quarter brought a 4% year-over-year revenue increase, but the company also trimmed its 2026 revenue outlook to $26.28 billion to $26.48 billion from $26.43 billion to $26.63 billion. Management left adjusted operating EBITDA guidance at $8.15 billion to $8.25 billion and free cash flow at $3.75 billion to $3.85 billion.
What the quarter showed
Adjusted operating EBITDA reached $2.07 billion in the second quarter, up 5.5% from a year earlier, and the margin widened to 30.9% from 30.5%. Collection and Disposal revenue rose 3.7% to $5.48 billion, with commercial revenue at $1.49 billion, industrial revenue at $820 million and residential revenue at $911 million.
The comparison that matters is the split between profit growth and the softer top-line outlook. Revenue beat the prior year by 4%, but the updated full-year sales range points to lower volume assumptions even as the EBITDA margin view moved up to 31% to 31.2%.
How the market reads it
At $221.24 on August 26, 2026, the stock sat below the 52-week high of $235.81 and above the 52-week low of $199.69 shown on the latest market snapshot. The same snapshot put market value at $88.40 billion and volume at 2.47 million shares.
That combination leaves investors balancing steady earnings growth against a more cautious revenue outlook. The shares have been treated as a quality defensive name, but the valuation case now depends more on margin durability and cash flow than on top-line acceleration.
More on the business
Waste Management's collection, disposal and recycling network remains its core engine, and the second quarter showed that mix still supports margin expansion. The key product is not a consumer item but a service bundle built around municipal, commercial and industrial waste handling.
Price and venue
Waste Management shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange at $221.24 as of August 26, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET.
Fact box
Company: Waste Management, Inc.
ISIN: US94106L1098
Ticker: WM
Exchange: NYSE
Price (as of August 26, 2026, 4:00 p.m. ET): $221.24 USD
Market cap: $88.40 billion
Sector / Industry: Commercial services / Environmental and waste services
Index membership: S&P 500
