Waste Management Shares Fall 1.15% as Institutional Investors Boost Holdings Amid 107th-Ranked $770M Trading Volume

On August 18, 2025, Waste Management (WM) closed with a 1.15% decline, trading at $226.80 per share. The stock recorded a daily trading volume of $0.77 billion, ranking 107th in market activity. Institutional investors have shown renewed interest in the stock, with Ethic Inc. increasing its stake by 16.4% in the first quarter to 25,803 shares. Brighton Jones LLC and Golden State Wealth Management LLC also bolstered their positions by 51.1% and 41.7%, respectively, reflecting confidence in the waste management sector's long-term stability.

Analyst sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. Recent upgrades include Hsbc Global Res raising its rating to "strong-buy" and BMO Capital Markets adjusting its price target to $248. However, insider transactions signal caution. CFO Devina Rankin sold 57,888 shares, reducing her ownership by 40.82%, while SVP Rafael Carrasco offloaded 674 shares, trimming his holdings by 3.91%. These sales highlight potential near-term profit-taking amid mixed market signals.

The company's financial performance underpins its strategic position. Waste Management reported a 19.0% year-over-year revenue increase to $6.43 billion in its latest quarter, with earnings per share of $1.92 surpassing expectations. A return on equity of 34.37% and a net margin of 11.36% underscore its operational efficiency. Institutional ownership now accounts for 80.40% of the float, reinforcing the stock's appeal to long-term capital allocators.

Backtesting of a high-volume trading strategy revealed a 1-day average return of 0.98% for top 500 stocks by daily trading volume from 2022 to 2025. Over 365 days, cumulative returns reached 31.52%, indicating short-term momentum capture but also exposing risks tied to market timing and volatility.