Waste Management INC: insider trades · United States · SEC (Form 4)

About Waste Management INC

Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) is one of the largest integrated environmental services companies in the United States. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1968, the company has grown through a combination of organic expansion and acquisitions into a dominant provider of collection, transfer, recycling, landfill, and waste-disposal services. For international investors, WM is best viewed as a high-quality defensive franchise in an essential industry, supported by recurring cash generation, strong local market positions, and a business model that is tied to non-discretionary demand. WM operates across several complementary business lines: residential, commercial, and industrial collection; transfer stations; landfill operations; recycling processing and sales; and renewable energy activities tied to waste streams. The company serves more than 20 million residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers through its operating subsidiaries and infrastructure network. This vertically integrated model allows WM to control more of the waste value chain, from pickup to final disposal, while improving operating leverage and strengthening its competitive moat. Its competitive position is built on scale, network density, route economics, and the scarcity of permitted disposal assets, especially landfills. These characteristics create significant barriers to entry and support stable pricing power over time. WM also benefits from a recognized brand, broad geographic coverage, and a disciplined operating approach centered on efficiency, pricing optimization, and capital allocation. In addition, the company has invested heavily in recycling and renewable energy, which gives it exposure to circular-economy themes and long-duration infrastructure economics. Geographically, WM has a broad footprint across the United States, with additional operations in Canada. Its earnings profile is therefore primarily North American, which reduces complexity for investors assessing country risk and regulatory exposure. The market typically focuses on organic revenue growth, pricing, volume trends, landfill tonnage, margins, and free-cash-flow conversion. Recent company developments have been constructive. In December 2025, WM announced a planned 14.5% dividend increase for 2026 and a new $3 billion share repurchase authorization, underscoring management’s confidence in cash generation and shareholder returns. The company also reported first-quarter 2026 earnings, reinforcing the resilience of the platform. On the governance side, SEC Form 4 filings continue to show insider activity, generally reflecting equity award settlements and tax-related share sales rather than unusual signals. WM is listed on the NYSE in the United States, and its scale, essential service profile, and capital-return policy make it a core large-cap industrial-environmental name.