Imperial Capital Downgrades Waste Management

Imperial Capital on Tuesday downgraded Waste Management, Inc. WM from Outperform to In-Line due to a high valuation compared to other competitors in the Environmental Peer group. Imperial maintained their one-year price target of $53.

Scott Levine of Imperial Capital wrote, “Recent results demonstrate healthy operational performance at WM, and include healthy improvements in margins and free cash flow on the back of increased cost controls ...WM has also demonstrated strong focus in its capital deployment program, shedding a number of non-core assets, and devoting more of its cash flow to its capital returns, while focusing its M&A program on core solid waste assets.”

However, due to recent outperformance of the stock, analysts believe that shares are trading at a premium with limited upside potential. Waste Management recently sold its Wheelabrator energy business and investors are focusing on what the company plans to do with the influx of cash.

Shares of Waste Management closed Monday at $51.56.