Waste Management (WM): analysis in plain words
Is Waste Management cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Waste Management (WM) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in industrials. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Waste Management according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Waste Management (WM) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $238.49 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 31.3x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +6.3% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 11.8% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.9x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 1.61% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $94.8 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Waste Management figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any WM figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Waste Management makes money
WM, formerly Waste Management, collects, hauls, recycles and disposes of trash from homes, businesses and industry in the United States and Canada. It earns money from collection contracts, landfill disposal fees, sales of recycled materials and renewable natural gas captured from landfills. Buying Stericycle added medical waste services.
Over the last 12 months, Waste Management brought in revenue of $26.1 billion. For every 100 it sells, Waste Management keeps 40.4 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 19.1 after all operating costs (operating margin). With 60,500 full-time employees, that is about $431,000 of revenue per employee.
Waste Management against its sector
To know whether a Waste Management figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Waste Management with the median of the 20 industrials companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Waste Management | industrials median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 31.3x | 27.3x (20) |
| Revenue growth | +6.3% | +9.8% (20) |
| Net margin | 11.8% | 13.0% (20) |
| Dividend yield | 1.61% | 1.60% (20) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 2.9x | 2.1x (20) |
In short, against the typical industrials company, Waste Management grows more slowly and carries more debt. By size, Waste Management ranks number 11 of 15 industrials companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Waste Management
What works in favour of Waste Management, according to its figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Waste Management earns 31.7% a year on its shareholders' money (return on equity).
The main risk for Waste Management
The Waste Management figures as of November 4, 2026 show no clear red flag (no heavy debt, no losses, no falling sales). Its main risk is the one built into its business: the economic cycle: when industry and trade slow, its orders fall.
Frequently asked questions about Waste Management
Is it a good time to buy Waste Management stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Waste Management, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Waste Management stock trades at $238.49, 4% below its 52-week high ($248.13) and 21% above its low ($197.47). Its P/E is 31.3x against a industrials median of 27.3x, and 26.7x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Waste Management, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Waste Management pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Waste Management pays $3.78 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 1.61%. It uses 48% of its profit to pay it, which leaves room to keep paying it if profit dips. Its average dividend yield over the last five years is 1.50%. The industrials median on Fintols is 1.60%.
Is Waste Management stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Waste Management trades at 31.3x its last 12 months of earnings: in line with the industrials median (27.3x). Including its debt, Waste Management is valued at 14.8x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make Waste Management expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Waste Management's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Waste Management with CSX, Norfolk Southern and Siemens, which are also in industrials. As of November 4, 2026, CSX is worth $96.4 billion and trades on a P/E of 27.1; Norfolk Southern is worth $77.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 28.8; Siemens is worth €210.7 billion and trades on a P/E of 27.6. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Waste Management below.
Waste Management competitors
- CSX (CSX) analysis · Waste Management vs CSX comparison
- Norfolk Southern (NSC) analysis · Waste Management vs Norfolk Southern comparison
- Siemens (SIE.DE) analysis · Waste Management vs Siemens comparison
To understand Waste Management better
- DCF and WACC Explained: A Practical Valuation Guide
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Waste Management: industrials stocks and S&P 500 companies. Open the full WM analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Waste Management, not investment advice.