Fact based stock research
Waste Management (NYSE:WM)

US94106L1098

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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Waste Management stock research in summary

wm.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 22 (worse than 78% compared with investment alternatives), Waste Management (Facility Services, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Waste Management are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 17 (worse than 83% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 47), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 46), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 22, is a sell recommendation based on Waste Management's financial characteristics. As the company Waste Management's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 17), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 47), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 46), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	17
Growth Rank	47
Safety Rank	46
Combined Rank	22

Country	USA
Industry	Facility Services
Index	Low Emissions, Energy Efficient, S&P 500
Size class	X-Large

31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Waste Management

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	29	16	15	17
GROWTH
GROWTH	77	53	29	47
SAFETY
SAFETY	25	53	64	46
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	29	71	69	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	23	46	78	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 31-Jul-2025. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 31-Mar-2025. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Waste Management is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2022	2023	2024	2025
VALUE
VALUE	29	16	15	17
GROWTH
GROWTH	77	53	29	47
SAFETY
SAFETY	25	53	64	46
COMBINED
COMBINED	37	27	60	22

Last update of combined financial performance: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Waste Management the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 17 (worse than 83% compared with alternatives), Waste Management shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all four indicators below average for Waste Management. Price-to-Sales is 29 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 71% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Waste Management's sales levels. Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) also has a low Price-to-Book Rank of 6, which means that both reliable company size indicators, sales, and invested capital cannot explain the high stock price of Waste Management. In addition, the two profit-related value indicators, Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a low rank of 26 and Dividend Yield, which is lower than 66% of comparable companies, also make the stock more expensive compared with investment alternatives. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 17, is a sell recommendation based on Waste Management's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. How can market participants pay such a high price for Waste Management? One reason may be that the company is simply too popular. If enough people want a particular stock, its price can exceed reasonable levels. This is often the case for companies offering new and exciting products and everybody wants a piece of the action. Should you pay a lot for a hot stock such as Waste Management? It's risky, and even if the stock price continues to grow because of popular demand, it may return to more typical lower levels later. And that return can be sudden and quick, making it impossible for retail investors to exit on time. Sometimes, high prices are deserved. This is the case when it is justified to believe that the company will dominate a market with high profit margins. It has happened in the past for many technology companies and indeed for commercially successful pharmaceutical discoveries. Sometimes they last, sometimes, they get eaten alive. Waste Management may be such a type of stock. That would mean, retail investors should be careful, only considering investing a small part of their wealth in this exciting category and always being ready to lose more than half, if not all of the investment. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	32	20	25	29
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	35	33	22	26
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	6	1	3	6
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	46	44	43	34
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	29	16	15	17

Last update of Value Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Waste Management; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 47 (better than 47% compared with alternatives), Waste Management shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Waste Management. Sales Growth has a rank of 60 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 60% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 53. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 34, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 66% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 41, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 47, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 53% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	50	47	53	60
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	46	56	42	41
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	67	59	31	34
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	81	61	41	53
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	77	53	29	47

Last update of Growth Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Waste Management.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 46 (better than 46% compared with alternatives), the company Waste Management has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Waste Management is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Waste Management. Liquidity is at 98, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 98% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 46, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 54% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 6, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 94% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 46 (worse than 54% compared with alternatives), Waste Management has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2022	2023	2024	2025
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	18	16	18	6
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	5	39	51	46
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	93	96	96	98
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	25	53	64	46

Last update of Safety Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Waste Management and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2022	2023	2024	2025
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	45	43	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	56	50	9	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	29	82	71	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	58	66	88	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	29	71	69	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 31-Jul-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Waste Management.
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