Stock Analysis
Waste Management, Inc.WM
P/E 31.78×· 5Y range 28.49–60.93×· bottom 16% of history
Sector: Industrials · Industry: Waste Management
AnalystsStrong Buy39 analystsP/E 31.8× sits at the 16th percentile of its 5.086926762491444-year history.
Cash covers 2% of debt · Q2 2026.
PMP Verdict
Strong business, attractive price
Strengths
- Quality100
- Profitability77
Risks
- Financial Health39
High-quality business at an attractive price.
Bull Case
- ✓Piotroski F-Score 8/9 — high earnings quality
- ✓ROE 28.7% — efficient capital deployment
- ✓P/E 31.8× at bottom 16% of 5-year history
What's happening with WM
Profile
Strong earnings quality and profitability; financial health lags behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation62/100 · Moderate
- P/E vs own history (16th pct)25/25
- FCF yield (3.9%)12/25
- P/S (3.5x)20/25
- EV/EBIT (25.2x)5/25
- Growth69/100 · Moderate
- Revenue CAGR (8.9%)12/25
- Net income CAGR (10.5%)20/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (8.7%)12/25
- Fwd implied growth (35.1%)25/25
- Profitability77/100 · Strong
- ROIC (10.9%)12/25
- ROE (28.7%)25/25
- Net margin (11.1%)20/25
- Operating margin (17.6%)20/25
- Financial Health39/100 · Weak
- Altman Z (2.79)18/25
- Current ratio (0.91)6/25
- Interest coverage (4.8x)10/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 49%)5/25
- Quality100/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (8/9)25/25
- Beneish M (-2.81)25/25
- FCF conversion (125%)25/25
- Margin stability (σ 2.0%)25/25
- Moat69/100 · Moderate
- ROIC >12% years (6/10 yrs)13/25
- Median gross margin (38.2%)13/25
- FCF-positive years (10/10 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 8.7%)18/25
About Waste Management, Inc.
WM, previously known as Waste Management, ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating 257 active landfill sites and about 342 transfer stations that help with transporting waste efficiently and economically. Show more
The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and medical end markets for waste collection, transfer, and disposal. The company also has an energy business emanating from the beneficial use of landfill gas and is a leading recycler in North America.
Headquarters: HOUSTON, TX · Employees: 60,500 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
62BP/E (TTM)31.8xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 28.5x–60.9x · 16th pct
P/FCF24.2xB
Grade B: FairPrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield3.9%C
Grade C: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 1.2%–4.4% · 92nd pct
P/S (TTM)3.53xB
Grade B: FairPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 3.2x–7.3x · 14th pct
EV/EBIT25.2xD
Grade D: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 23.1x–44.3x · 14th pct
EV/Sales4.3xB
Grade B: FairEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E23.5xB
Grade B: FairPrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio9.14xD
Grade D: Very expensivePrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio2.74C
Grade C: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield1.66%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio50.1%A
Grade A: SafeDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
77B+ROIC10.9%C
Grade C: AverageNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE28.7%A
Grade A: StrongReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA6.2%C
Grade C: AverageReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin11.1%A
Grade A: HighNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin17.6%C
Grade C: AverageTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin40.9%C
Grade C: AverageGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin13.9%C
Grade C: AverageFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin13.2%A
Grade A: HighTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
69BRevenue CAGR8.9%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR10.5%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)8.7%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth35.1%A
Grade A: HighAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-5.8%A
Grade A: BuybacksShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income6.1%A
Grade A: LowStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.7%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
39DAltman Z-Score2.79C
Grade C: Gray zoneBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio0.91xD
Grade D: LowCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio0.91xC
Grade C: Ok(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage4.8xC
Grade C: OkEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment6.4yC
Grade C: AverageYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBIT5.1xD
Grade D: HighLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity2.35xD
Grade D: HighDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.02xD
Grade D: ThinCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
100A+Piotroski F-Score8/9A
Grade A: StrongFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.81A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion125.2%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability2.0%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue11.5%C
Grade C: AverageTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover0.56xC
Grade C: AverageRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Carroll John A. Filed | Carroll John A. | SellOpen market sale | -1365 | |
Stith Kimberly G. Filed | Stith Kimberly G. | Tax withholding | -356 | |
Carroll John A. Filed | Carroll John A. | Gift | +4.9K | |
Carroll John A. Filed | Carroll John A. | Gift | -4874 | |
Reed David L. Filed | Reed David L. | Gift | +5.4K |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Reed David L. Filed | Reed David L. | Gift | -5357 | |
Carrasco Rafael Filed | Carrasco Rafael | Option exercise | -2655 | |
Carrasco Rafael Filed | Carrasco Rafael | SellOpen market sale | -2655 |
Option exercise (M) rows report a derivative leg, not an open-market sale — a paired negative entry is the option position being consumed.
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
69BROIC >12% Years6/10 yrsC
Grade C: ModerateShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)38.2%C
Grade C: ModerateMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years10/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor8.7%A
Grade A: DurableWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$7.14
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$1.39
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$24.72
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$23.36B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$557.00M
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$22.80B
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$9.93B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability1.27xC
Grade C: AdequateTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$90.68B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta0.41B
Grade B: DefensivePrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jun 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 16, 2026
Key Insights: Waste Management, Inc. (WM)
WM is up 1.19% at the last close. Waste Management, Inc. meets 8 of 9 Piotroski F-Score criteria, placing its fundamental strength in the top tier of US-listed stocks. Altman Z-Score of 2.79 falls in the grey zone (1.81–2.99) — financial distress is unlikely but not ruled out.
- Beneish M-Score of -2.81 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Takes ~6.4 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
- Return on equity of 28.7% is well above the market average.
See how WM ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Recent Market Moves
See all WM moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 | Regular | 223.68 | +3.67% | 3.71 |
| Oct 14 | After-hours | 216.00 | +1.97% | 2.32 |
| Oct 2 | Regular | 204.73 | +1.40% | 2.15 |
Frequently Asked Questions about WM
What is the current Waste Management, Inc. (WM) stock price?
WM is trading at $226.86 at the last market close, up 1.19% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks WM pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is WM stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Waste Management, Inc.'s financial health at 39/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is WM stock overvalued?
Waste Management, Inc. trades at a trailing P/E of 31.8 and our valuation score rates it 62/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Waste Management, Inc. report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for WM. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Waste Management, Inc. operate in?
Waste Management, Inc. operates in the Industrials sector, within the Waste Management industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Waste Management, Inc. do?
WM, previously known as Waste Management, ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating 257 active landfill sites and about 342 transfer stations that help with transporting waste efficiently and economically.
About Waste Management, Inc. (WM) Stock
Waste Management, Inc. (WM) is a US-listed stock operating in the Industrials sector, specifically the Waste Management industry. As of the latest update, Waste Management, Inc. is trading at $226.86, up 1.19% on the day with a market capitalization of $90.7 billion. The financial health score for WM is 39/100, which indicates weak financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for WM stock.
WM Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Waste Management, Inc. (WM) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time WM stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for WM with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Waste Management, Inc. across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 39/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for WM.
- Sector peers: Compare WM against 5 other industrials stocks on key financial metrics.
Is WM a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Waste Management, Inc. (WM) as an investment. The financial health score of 39/100 suggests weak financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Waste Management, Inc. (WM) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.