Waste Management stock: Buybacks sharpen the 2026 outlook
Published on 11/10/2026 at 16:43 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSWhat is changing for Waste Management
- Healthcare profitability and pricing continue to support the company's 2026 earnings profile.
- Share repurchases add capital-return support, while softer volumes and fuel costs remain key risks.
- Management still expects 2026 revenue and free cash flow toward the upper end of its guidance ranges.
Waste Management's investment case gained a new capital-return angle on Tuesday, November 10, after a fresh Simply Wall St analysis highlighted a 1.606 billion US dollar share repurchase program that reduced the share count by 1.77 percent. The detail adds to the existing earnings story rather than changing the company's operating outlook.
Waste Management stock traded at 210.45 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 16:35 CET on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 0.07 percent below the Xetra close of Monday, November 9. The comparison uses the latest completed Xetra session because the European trading day was not yet finished.
Healthcare progress meets cost pressure
Waste Management's third-quarter revenue rose 6.3 percent to 6.846 billion US dollars, while adjusted earnings reached 2.15 US dollars per share, below the 2.18 US dollar consensus cited in the company's prior coverage. Healthcare Solutions revenue increased 3.7 percent, and adjusted operating EBITDA rose by roughly one-third as pricing and integration savings supported profitability.
The broader margin picture remains mixed. Adjusted operating EBITDA margin slipped to 31.0 percent from 31.1 percent a year earlier, while higher fuel expenses and a 63 million US dollar increase in risk-management costs offset part of the operating gains. Collection and Disposal volumes also remain under pressure.
Guidance and shareholder returns
Management continues to target 2026 revenue of 26.275 billion to 26.475 billion US dollars, with revenue expected toward the high end of the range. Adjusted operating EBITDA remains guided to 8.15 billion to 8.25 billion US dollars, while free cash flow is expected toward the high end of the 3.75 billion to 3.85 billion US dollar range.
The combination of pricing discipline, healthcare integration and buybacks supports per-share performance, but investors still face execution risks. Softer collection volumes, fuel costs and the pace of healthcare synergies will remain central to the next earnings assessment.
Waste Management, Inc.
- ISIN: US94106L1098
- Home ticker: WM
- Xetra symbol: UWS.DE
- Lang & Schwarz quote: 210.45 euros at 16:35 CET on Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Change versus Xetra close: 0.07 percent lower than 210.60 euros on Monday, November 9, 2026
US equities remain linked to the broader S&P 500 market.
