AlphAIAlphAI — Financial news for AI agents
investing.comOCT 283 min read$WM

Waste Management earnings analysis: questions answered and next catalysts

Waste Management Inc (WM) reported Q3 FY2026 with EPS of $2.15 (vs $2.18 est) and revenue of $6.85B (vs $6.81B est). The stock fell 3.16%. Healthcare Solutions revenue rose YoY, and FCF grew 20%. CEO Jim Fish will retire in January, with President John Morris succeeding him. Insurance costs rose $63M YoY, and volume remains down 1%. Guidance was maintained, with EBITDA expected within range and revenue/FCF at the high end.

Original reporting
investing.com
Published Oct 28, 2026, 4:43 PM UTC
Analysis
AlphAI AI DeskAI-generated
Added to AlphAI Oct 28, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC. Informational, not investment advice.
How this was made
AlphAI summarizes source reporting and applies a structured AI analysis for relevance, timing, sentiment and ticker impact. Always verify material claims with the original publisher.
About AlphAI AI DeskScoring methodologyReport an issue
AlphAI market briefEarnings
Primary signal
$WM
Bearish
high confidence
Mentioned
$WM
Relevance
8/10
AlphAI data visualization · based on investing.com
Decision brief

The 30-second read

$WMBearishMed
01

Why it matters

The earnings miss and leadership change introduce short‑term downside, but strong free cash flow and buybacks provide a floor.

02

Market read

First‑report earnings data for a large‑cap waste‑services company, with immediate price impact and guidance implications.

03

What to watch

Healthcare Solutions unit shows strong margin improvement and could offset broader cost concerns.

Relevance 8/10Novelty 8/10Timing: post‑market today

Background

Waste Management reported FY2026 Q3 results, highlighted cash generation, insurance cost concerns, and announced CEO retirement.

Company-level read

Ticker impact

$WMBearishHigh confidence
Context

Q3 FY2026 earnings miss (EPS $2.15 vs $2.18 est) and 3.16% stock drop, plus new guidance and CEO transition.

Expected impact

likely pressure as the market prices in the EPS miss and uncertainty around the CEO handoff.

Evidence & confidence

The miss is fresh, the stock already fell 3% on the day, and guidance is mixed, prompting traders to consider short positions.

Market effects

Sector

Waste‑management sector may see broader scrutiny of cost pressures and insurance exposure.

Regional

U.S. waste services stocks could face short‑term volatility.

Global

Limited to U.S. equities; no immediate global macro effect.

Counterpoint

What could challenge this read

Buy on dip if cash flow remains strong and buybacks continue, betting the miss is overblown.

Key entities

  • Executive
    Jim Fish

    CEO retiring in January.

  • Executive
    John Morris

    President succeeding as CEO.

Read at source← All news

StoryWaste Management posts Q3 2026 results with revenue growth, EPS miss and $957 million returned to shareholders

Also covered by

5 outlets

Related articles

OCT 28
$WMHighAI 8/10

Waste Management: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

Waste Management Inc. (WM) reported Q3 earnings of $820M, or $2.05 per share, missing analyst estimates of $2.18 per share. Revenue was $6.85B, exceeding expectations of $6.8B. The company expects full-year revenue between $26.28B and $26.48B.

finance.yahoo.com2 min
OCT 28
$WMMedAI 8/10

WM president says ‘we’ve turned a corner’ on healthcare waste profits

WM reported Q3 2026 revenue of $6.84B, up 6.25% YoY, and net income of $820M, up 36% YoY. The Healthcare Solutions segment saw its first YoY revenue increase since the 2024 Stericycle acquisition, with a 33% EBITDA increase. CEO Jim Fish will retire, with President John Morris taking over in January. WM met its healthcare segment's core price and SG&A targets.

finance.yahoo.com2 min
OCT 28
$WMMedAI 8/10

WM (WM) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

WM reported Q3 2026 earnings, with revenue up 6.3%, operating EBITDA up 5.8%, and free cash flow up 20%. CEO Jim Fish announced his retirement, with John Morris succeeding him. The company expects full-year revenue and free cash flow to meet guidance. Health care solutions revenue grew 3.7%, with operating EBITDA up 33%.

finance.yahoo.com2 min
OCT 28
$WMHighAI 8/10

Why is Waste Management stock sliding today?

Waste Management (WM) stock fell 2.8% after reporting Q3 adjusted EPS of $2.15, missing estimates by $0.03, despite revenue of $6.85B beating expectations. Margin pressure and volume declines contributed to the decline, though the company affirmed its full-year guidance. Analysts had recently lowered price targets, and the broader market provided little support.

investing.com2 min