QXO Surges 2.45% on $240M Volume as Analysts Highlight Profitability Edge Over Waste Connections Despite High Volatility and 390th Daily Rank

On August 25, 2025, QXO (NYSE: QXO) traded up 2.45% with a trading volume of $240 million, ranking 390th in daily market activity. The stock’s recent performance reflects a mix of institutional activity, analyst optimism, and competitive dynamics within the business services sector.

Institutional ownership of QXO stands at 58.7%, with major holders including Orbis Allan Gray Ltd ($2.07 billion) and Vanguard Group Inc. ($1.02 billion). Insider ownership is notably high at 51.3%, suggesting strong alignment between management and shareholders. Recent transactions show a net increase in institutional buying, with entities like Affinity Partners GP LP and Alpha Wave Global LP adding to their stakes over the past 24 months.

Analyst sentiment remains cautiously bullish. QXO has a consensus price target of $34.22, implying a 63.93% upside from its current level. This outperforms Waste Connections (WCN), a key competitor, which has a 17.90% upside. QXO’s higher net margin (30.08% vs. WCN’s 6.97%) underscores its profitability edge, though its elevated beta of 2.34 highlights significant volatility compared to the S&P 500. Media coverage favors WCN in terms of positive sentiment, but QXO’s strong analyst ratings and lower valuation (P/E ratio of -99.41) position it as a high-risk, high-reward option.

The strategy of purchasing top 500 high-volume stocks and holding for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a 31.52% total return over 365 days, with a 0.98% average daily gain. While volatile—ranging from a 7.02% peak in June 2023 to a -4.65% trough in September 2022—the approach captured short-term momentum, aligning with QXO’s recent trading pattern. This suggests QXO may appeal to traders capitalizing on market swings, despite its inherent risks.