Waste Management stock trades near ex-dividend date as analysts see upside
Published on 09/11/2026 at 17:53 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Waste Management, Inc. (ISIN US94106L1098) stock is trading around USD 214.77 as of September 11, 2026, leaving a notable gap to the roughly USD 258.89 average 12 month analyst price target that implies close to 20 percent upside for investors watching the environmental services group.
Dividend date sets the near-term tone
According to Yahoo Finance on September 11, 2026, Waste Management has announced a regular quarterly cash dividend of USD 0.945 per share, with the ex-dividend date set for September 11, 2026 and payment scheduled for September 25, 2026.
As MarketBeat reported on September 11, 2026, the USD 0.945 quarterly dividend translates into an annualized dividend of USD 3.78 per share and a dividend yield of about 1.8 percent at recent price levels, with a dividend payout ratio of around 53.54 percent based on current earnings.
For investors, the timing matters: the ex-dividend date on September 11, 2026 means only shareholders who held Waste Management stock before that date qualify for the USD 0.945 cash distribution, while new buyers from that date onward will not receive the upcoming payment.
Analysts maintain a Moderate Buy view
According to MarketBeat on September 11, 2026, nineteen brokerages covering Waste Management currently assign the shares an average rating of Moderate Buy, with no sell recommendations, a mix of buy and hold ratings and an average rating score of roughly 2.65 on a 0 to 4 scale.
The same MarketBeat overview states that the consensus 12 month price objective for Waste Management stands at about USD 258.89 per share, compared with a current price of approximately USD 214.88, signaling around 20 percent upside potential if the stock were to reach that target level.
In addition, the analyst range captured by MarketBeat on September 11, 2026 shows individual price targets between USD 230.00 at the low end and USD 277.00 at the high end, indicating that even the most cautious target is still above the roughly USD 214.77 trading level and the most optimistic target sits more than USD 60 above that reference price.
Latest reported quarterly figures support the story
As MarketBeat noted on September 11, 2026, Waste Management last reported its quarterly results on July 28, 2026, posting earnings per share of USD 2.02 for that quarter, which exceeded the analysts' consensus estimate of USD 1.98 by USD 0.04.
In the same report, MarketBeat cites quarterly revenue of USD 6.68 billion for Waste Management, compared with analyst expectations of USD 6.71 billion, which means the company missed revenue consensus by USD 0.03 billion while still growing the top line by about 4.0 percent year over year from the prior-year quarter.
The same quarter a year earlier saw earnings per share of USD 1.92, so the latest EPS of USD 2.02 represents an increase of roughly USD 0.10 per share, or about 5.2 percent growth year over year, highlighting that profitability is moving faster than revenue.
According to MarketBeat, Waste Management delivered a return on equity of 31.68 percent and a net margin of 11.11 percent in that July 28, 2026 quarter, underlining a capital-efficient business model in which relatively moderate revenue growth translates into robust profitability.
Equities analysts following the stock collectively expect Waste Management to generate about USD 8.13 in earnings per share for the current year, as aggregated by MarketBeat, which, if achieved, would keep the dividend payout ratio near the cited 53.54 percent while leaving room for reinvestment and potential further dividend increases.
Sector positioning and valuation context
Per the waste management sector overview on Yahoo Finance as of September 11, 2026, Waste Management shows a last price of USD 214.77 with a one year target estimate around USD 259.92, a market capitalization near USD 85.847 billion and a year-to-date return of roughly minus 2.25 percent.
In the same table, Republic Services, another major North American waste player, trades at USD 221.08 with a one year target estimate of USD 245.92 and a year-to-date return of about plus 4.32 percent, while Waste Connections stands at USD 159.44 with a target around USD 200.60 and a year-to-date return of about minus 9.08 percent, illustrating that Waste Management's year-to-date performance sits between a stronger peer and a weaker one.
This sector snapshot suggests that, despite the modest negative year-to-date return of Waste Management stock, analysts broadly expect double-digit price appreciation over the coming year, with the roughly 18.6 percent growth estimate shown for Waste Management in the same Yahoo Finance overview providing a numeric anchor for that expectation.
Risks investors should weigh
While the Moderate Buy consensus and the gap between the current share price and the average target underscore a constructive view, investors need to consider that Waste Management's price-to-earnings ratio is about 30.42 based on trailing twelve month earnings, as indicated in the data compiled by MarketBeat, which is a premium valuation that leaves less room for disappointment.
The July 28, 2026 quarter also shows that revenue of USD 6.68 billion came in just below the USD 6.71 billion analyst consensus cited by MarketBeat, highlighting that any slowdown in waste volumes or pricing could quickly translate into misses on the top line even if earnings remain resilient.
In addition, the sector data from Yahoo Finance show that Waste Management's year-to-date return of around minus 2.25 percent lags behind some peers such as Clean Harbors, which is up about 36.87 percent year to date, underscoring that relative performance within environmental services can diverge significantly.
Stock price and trading details
As of September 11, 2026, Waste Management stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange at about USD 214.77 per share, with recent intraday snapshots from sector and stock portals indicating that the price has eased by around 0.7 to 0.8 percent compared with a prior close near USD 216, while the 52 week trading range spans from roughly USD 194.11 at the low to about USD 248.13 at the high.
With a market capitalization of approximately USD 85.89 billion and recent daily volume around 1.03 million shares compared with an average volume of about 2.16 million shares, based on data compiled by MarketBeat and Yahoo Finance as of September 11, 2026, Waste Management stock combines large-cap scale with relatively moderate trading activity.
Waste Management stock facts
- Company: Waste Management, Inc.
- ISIN: US94106L1098
- Ticker: WM
- Trading venue: NYSE
- Price (as of September 11, 2026): 214.77 USD
- Market capitalization: 85,847,000,000 USD (as of September 11, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Industrials / Environmental services
- Index membership: S&P 500
- Next earnings date: October 28, 2026
