Waste Management, Inc. (WM)
Waste Management is the giant of the rubbish world, collecting, recycling, and disposing of waste for millions of homes and businesses across North America.
Is Waste Management, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Waste Management is the giant of the rubbish world, collecting, recycling, and disposing of waste for millions of homes and businesses across North America.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Significant expansion in renewable energy from landfill gas
Major shift in environmental policy making landfilling more expensive
What does Waste Management, Inc. do?
Think of Waste Management as the essential backbone of a clean city; they operate a massive network of collection trucks, recycling centres, and landfills. Revenue comes from the regular fees households and businesses pay to have their rubbish taken away, plus sales of the materials recovered from recycling. Worth following is how they lean on technology to make collection routes more efficient and how they turn landfill gas into renewable energy.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.6% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 4% over the year
- !High P/E of 59 - big growth is already priced in
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 2.4x its equity
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 30%)
- Essential service that people need regardless of the economy
- High barriers to entry as it is difficult for new competitors to build landfills
- Strong return on equity showing efficient use of shareholder money
- Value screens low (30/100)
- Growth screens low (31/100)
- Stricter environmental regulations could increase operating costs
- Potential for accidents or environmental damage at landfill sites
- Economic downturns can reduce the amount of waste produced by businesses
What do Waste Management, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Waste Management, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Waste Management, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Waste Management, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 1.6% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
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Masco CorporationWhat are the scenarios for Waste Management, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Waste Management, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential service that people need regardless of the economy
- High barriers to entry as it is difficult for new competitors to build landfills
- Strong return on equity showing efficient use of shareholder money
- High price-to-earnings ratio suggests the stock is not cheap
- Heavy reliance on fuel and labour costs
- Limited growth potential compared to tech or high-growth sectors
- Stricter environmental regulations could increase operating costs
- Potential for accidents or environmental damage at landfill sites
- Economic downturns can reduce the amount of waste produced by businesses
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sudden, massive drop in the volume of waste produced by society
- New technology that makes traditional landfilling obsolete
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.