WM Earnings Miss Estimates in Q3, Revenues Appreciate 15% Y/Y

Core Insights - WM reported disappointing third-quarter 2025 results, with adjusted earnings of $1.98 per share missing the consensus estimate by 1.5%, although it represented a 1% year-over-year increase. Total revenues of $6.4 billion also missed estimates but grew 14.9% from the previous year [1][9]. Financial Performance - The Collection segment generated revenues of $3.9 billion, a 3.5% increase year-over-year, but fell short of the $4.1 billion estimate. The Landfill segment saw a 7.8% increase to $995 million, exceeding the $986.5 million projection. The Transfer segment's revenues rose 8.5% to $396 million, surpassing the $391.5 million estimate. However, the Recycling Processing and Sales segment's revenues declined 13.9% to $372 million, missing the $432.3 million estimate [3][4][9]. - Adjusted operating EBITDA was $2 billion, missing the estimate of $1.9 billion but increasing 15.1% year-over-year. The adjusted operating EBITDA margin improved by 10 basis points to 30.6%, exceeding the 30.1% estimate [5][9]. Cash Flow and Dividends - WM generated $1.6 billion in cash from operating activities, with capital expenditures of $635 million, resulting in free cash flow of $821 million. The company distributed $332 million in cash dividends to shareholders during the quarter [6][9]. 2025 Outlook - For 2025, WM expects revenues of $25.275 billion, which is below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $25.36 billion. The company anticipates adjusted operating EBITDA in the range of $7.475 billion to $7.625 billion [7][9].