Group 1 - Technology stocks have been performing exceptionally well over the past decade, driven by transformative products that have changed consumer behavior [1] - Many investors have overlooked simpler businesses, such as waste management and staffing uniform providers, which are not as flashy but are essential [2] - Companies in the Consumer Staples sector, like Cintas and Waste Management, have shown steady demand regardless of economic conditions, providing stability against market volatility [3] Group 2 - Cintas (CTAS) has experienced a +780% increase over the last decade, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's +300% gain, with an annualized return of +24.2% [4] - Waste Management (WM) shares have risen by 385% over the past decade, also surpassing the S&P 500's performance, and have shown resilience during market downturns [5] - Both Cintas and Waste Management demonstrate that strong returns can be achieved through consistent and dependable growth in less glamorous sectors [6][7]

Core Viewpoint - UBS has increased its price target for Waste Connections, Inc. from $190 to $195, maintaining a "Neutral" rating, citing steady execution and resilient fundamentals following Q3 results [1] Financial Performance - Waste Connections reported Q3 2025 revenue of $2.46 billion, up from $2.34 billion year-over-year, indicating growth [3] - Adjusted EBITDA for the same period rose to $830.3 million, aligning with the company's 2025 guidance, reflecting consistency and disciplined cost management [3] Future Outlook - UBS has adjusted its annual adjusted EBITDA forecasts for Waste Connections to $3.12 billion, $3.36 billion, and $3.70 billion for 2025, 2026, and 2027 respectively, attributing the upward revision to the company's strong performance and potential M&A activity due to pressures on smaller operators [2]

Core Insights - Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a leading provider of waste management services in North America, focusing on collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal, with an emphasis on sustainability initiatives [1] - Citigroup has maintained a "Buy" rating for WM and raised the price target from $268 to $270 following the Q3 2025 earnings call [2][6] - The current stock price of WM is $204.23, reflecting a decrease of 4.46% [4][6] Financial Performance - During the Q3 2025 earnings call, key leaders discussed WM's financial performance and strategic initiatives, with a focus on sustainability and enterprise strategy [3] - WM has a market capitalization of approximately $82.27 billion, indicating its significant presence in the waste management industry [5] - The trading volume for WM on the NYSE is 3,533,603 shares, showing active investor interest [5] Stock Performance - The stock price has fluctuated between a low of $197.25 and a high of $208.80 on the current trading day, with a yearly high of $242.58 and a low of $197.25, indicating volatility [4]

Core Insights - Zacks Premium provides tools for investors to enhance their stock market engagement and confidence, including daily updates, research reports, and stock screens [1] Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores are indicators that assist investors in selecting stocks likely to outperform the market within 30 days, rated from A to F based on value, growth, and momentum characteristics [2] - The Value Score focuses on identifying undervalued stocks using financial ratios like P/E and Price/Sales [3] - The Growth Score evaluates a company's financial health and future outlook through projected earnings and sales [4] - The Momentum Score identifies stocks with upward or downward trends using price changes and earnings estimate changes [5] - The VGM Score combines all three Style Scores, providing a comprehensive indicator for stock selection [6] Zacks Rank - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model based on earnings estimate revisions, with 1 (Strong Buy) stocks achieving an average annual return of +23.81% since 1988, outperforming the S&P 500 [7] - There are typically over 800 stocks rated 1 or 2, making it essential to utilize Style Scores for effective selection [8] - Stocks with a Zacks Rank of 1 or 2 and Style Scores of A or B are recommended for maximizing return potential [9] Stock Highlight: Waste Connections (WCN) - Waste Connections is an integrated solid waste services company operating in the U.S. and Canada, providing waste collection, disposal, and recycling services [11] - WCN holds a 3 (Hold) Zacks Rank with a VGM Score of B and a Momentum Style Score of A, having increased by 2.6% over the past four weeks [12] - Analysts have revised WCN's earnings estimate upwards, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate rising by $0.05 to $5.15 per share, and an average earnings surprise of +2.5% [12][13]

Core Insights - Waste Management (WM) has transformed waste collection and disposal into a highly profitable business, generating $22 billion in revenue and nearly $3 billion in profit last year [1][2] - The company is positioned for long-term growth due to increasing demand for its services and a strong business model [1][10] Business Model and Revenue Streams - WM is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America, with a vertically integrated structure that includes waste collection, transfer stations, and landfills [2] - The majority of WM's revenue (89%) comes from collection, transfer, and disposal services, which are secured through long-term contracts that typically last three years [3] - Revenue from collection and disposal has grown at approximately 6% annually over the past five years [3] Growth Segments - Recycling, healthcare solutions, and renewable energy are smaller but rapidly growing segments for WM [4] - The acquisition of Stericycle for $7.2 billion allows WM to enter the healthcare waste market, capitalizing on increased demand for regulated medical waste services [4][8] - WM is investing $3 billion in new or upgraded recycling facilities and renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities, which will generate an additional $600 million in annual free cash flow by 2027 [7][9] Financial Performance and Projections - WM has delivered a nearly 400% total return over the past decade, outperforming the S&P 500 [5] - The company forecasts revenue growth to approximately $29 billion by 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate of over 9% [9] - Annual free cash flow is expected to exceed $4 billion by 2027, allowing for continued investment in sustainability projects and shareholder returns [9] Market Position and Opportunities - WM holds a significant share of the $125 billion U.S. and Canadian waste and recycling market, with opportunities for further growth through acquisitions of smaller waste management companies [6] - The company has a strong balance sheet, rated A, providing financial flexibility for future acquisitions and investments [6]

Core Insights - Republic Services, Inc. is the second largest provider of non-hazardous solid waste services in the U.S. with a market cap of $69 billion [1] - The company is expected to report a slight decline in adjusted profit for Q3, with an EPS of $1.76, down 2.8% from the previous year [2] - Analysts project a positive growth trajectory for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with adjusted EPS expected to rise to $6.84 and $7.45 respectively [3] Financial Performance - Republic Services' stock has increased by 6.2% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming compared to the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund's 8.9% and the S&P 500 Index's 13.5% [4] - In Q2, the company reported a 4.6% year-over-year revenue growth to $4.2 billion, driven by 3.1% organic revenue growth and 1.5% from acquisitions, although it missed Street expectations by 75 basis points [5] - The adjusted EPS for Q2 was $1.77, reflecting a 9.9% year-over-year increase, surpassing consensus estimates by 1.1% [5] - Operating cash flows for Q2 increased by 11.7% year-over-year to $2.1 billion [5] Analyst Sentiment - Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating for Republic Services, with 12 "Strong Buys," 2 "Moderate Buys," and 10 "Holds" among 24 analysts [6] - The mean price target for RSG is $262, indicating a potential upside of 20.1% from current levels [6]

Core Insights - GE Vernova, Inc. (NYSE:GEV) has garnered significant hedge fund interest and is trending on Reddit, earning a place on the list of the 10 Best Non-Tech Stocks to Buy According to Reddit [1] Group 1: Analyst Ratings and Market Outlook - RBC Capital Markets downgraded GE Vernova, Inc. from Outperform to Sector Perform on October 1, citing that the stock's excellent long-term outlook is already priced in [2] - The bank expressed concerns about potential revenue growth slowdown in GE Vernova's core power company towards the end of the decade, despite ongoing demand for power generation and grid infrastructure [2] - RBC set a price target of $605 for GE Vernova based on projected earnings for 2030, which is slightly below market expectations [3] Group 2: Revenue Projections - RBC forecasts wind revenue for GE Vernova at $7.8 billion and power revenue at approximately $30 billion, compared to the $33 billion average market expectation [3] - The company is projected to generate around $18 billion in income from electrification by 2030, as it operates in a market worth over $100 billion [3] Group 3: Company Overview - GE Vernova, Inc. is a global electric power provider offering products and services for producing, transferring, converting, and storing electricity across its Power, Wind, and Electrification sectors [4]

Company Overview - GE Vernova Inc. (GEV) has a market capitalization of approximately $162 billion and operates in the energy sector, providing products and services for electricity generation, transfer, conversion, and storage globally [1] Financial Performance - GEV is expected to release its fiscal Q3 2025 results on October 22, with analysts projecting an EPS of $1.76, representing a substantial growth of 402.9% from $0.35 in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, analysts forecast an EPS of $7.64, which is an increase of 218.3% from $2.40 in fiscal 2024 [3] - The company reported Q2 2025 results with a profit of $1.86 and revenue of $9.11 billion, leading to a 14.6% surge in stock price on July 23 [5] Growth and Guidance - GEV raised its full-year free cash flow forecast to between $3 billion and $3.5 billion, marking a more than 44% increase at the midpoint, and guided 2025 revenue towards the high end of $36 billion to $37 billion [5] - The Power unit's profit increased by 27% to $778 million, while the Electrification unit's profit more than doubled to $332 million, contributing to positive investor sentiment [5] Stock Performance - GEV stock has increased by 125.3% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 16.9% and the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund's gain of 13.9% during the same period [4] Analyst Ratings - The consensus view on GEV stock is cautiously optimistic, with an overall "Moderate Buy" rating from analysts. Among 28 analysts, 18 recommend a "Strong Buy," one suggests a "Moderate Buy," and nine provide a "Hold" rating [6] - The average analyst price target for GE Vernova is $667.67, indicating a potential upside of 12.2% from current levels [6]

Core Viewpoint - Waste Connections Inc. is identified as a strong buy-the-dip stock, with analysts highlighting its differentiated growth strategy and a Buy rating initiated by Stifel with a price target of $221 [1][2]. Company Overview - Waste Connections Inc. operates in solid waste management, providing integrated services such as non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, disposal, and resource recovery, along with specialized services like non-hazardous oilfield waste treatment [4]. Business Structure - Approximately 40% of Waste Connections' business operates under exclusive or franchise contracts, while the remaining 60% serves secondary and rural markets, contributing to its resilient business structure [2]. Financial Performance - The company has demonstrated strong operational performance with a gross profit margin of 42% [2]. Growth Prospects - Stifel expects Waste Connections to achieve mid-7% to 8% free cash flow growth starting from 2028, driven by acquisitions and operational excellence [3]. Shareholder Returns - The company is anticipated to return capital to shareholders through share repurchases, enhancing its investment appeal [3].

Core Insights - Macquarie Asset Management's "Macquarie Large Cap Growth Fund" reported a positive return of 11.24% in Q2 2025, but underperformed the Russell 1000 Growth Index, which returned 17.84% [1] Company Performance - Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) experienced a one-month return of -4.51% and a 52-week decline of 3.60%, with its stock closing at $173.97 and a market capitalization of $44.73 billion on September 19, 2025 [2] - The performance of Waste Connections was negatively impacted as stable companies fell out of favor, despite no specific event affecting its fundamentals [3] Hedge Fund Interest - Waste Connections, Inc. was held by 43 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 41 in the previous quarter, indicating growing interest among institutional investors [4]