Waste Management Shares Drop 1.44% as Insider Sales and Commodity Woes Weigh on 348th-Ranked Stock

On July 31, 2025, Waste Management (WM) fell 1.44% with a trading volume of $0.41 billion, ranking 348th in the market. The stock’s performance reflects mixed signals from earnings updates and operational dynamics.

WM reported stronger-than-expected Q2 revenue driven by internal growth in waste collection and Stericycle integration, though it cut 2025 revenue guidance due to declining commodity prices. The company highlighted resilience in its core operations but acknowledged headwinds from volatile market conditions. Meanwhile, insider sales by CFO Devina Rankin and SVP Rafael Carrasco raised questions about management confidence, with combined ownership reductions exceeding 30% for both executives.

Institutional investors showed renewed interest, with Westend Capital Management and Saudi Central Bank increasing stakes in Q1. Hedge funds now own 80.40% of the stock, indicating continued institutional backing despite short-term volatility. The firm’s focus on landfill volumes and environmental services remains a strategic pillar, though labor disputes and regulatory uncertainties persist as risks.

A strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day generated a 166.71% return from 2022 to July 30, 2025, outperforming the benchmark by 137.53%. The approach leveraged high-liquidity stocks to capture momentum-driven shifts, underscoring the role of trading volume and market structure in short-term performance.