WM · 10-Q · 2026Q3

WASTE MANAGEMENT INC

Filed 2026-10-28 · Utilities · View original filing on EDGAR

Ranked Events

• Quarterly Dividend DeclarationImportance 74 · Surprise 40
  Cash dividends paid increased 14% to $1,141 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, from $1,001 million in 2025. The increase primarily reflected a rise in the quarterly per-share dividend from $0.825 in…
• Debt and Liquidity PositionImportance 61 · Surprise 32
  Total debt was $23,370 million at September 30, 2026, compared with $22,907 million at December 31, 2025; long-term debt was $21,846 million. Approximately $4.4 billion of debt matures within the next 12 months,…
• Diesel Price and Fuel SurchargesImportance 57 · Surprise 64
  Energy surcharge and mandated-fee revenue increased $112 million in the third quarter and $234 million in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the prior-year periods. The increases were primarily attributed to…
• Capital Expenditure ProgramImportance 56 · Surprise 58
  For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, capital expenditures were $1,937 million, down from $2,339 million in the prior-year period, a decrease of more than 10%. Management attributed the reduction to lower…
• Impairment ChargesImportance 53 · Surprise 82
  Third-quarter 2026 included an $18 million impairment charge to accelerate closure of a landfill in the East Tier. Third-quarter 2025 included a $152 million impairment for suspension of a plastic-film and wrap…
• Acquisitions and DivestituresImportance 51 · Surprise 64
  Cash spending on acquisitions related to the solid waste and recycling businesses fell 75% to $102 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, from $403 million in 2025. Of the 2026 acquisition spending, $89…
• Operating Margin DriversImportance 47 · Surprise 48
  Third-quarter income from operations increased $290 million to $1,279 million, or 18.7% of revenue, from $989 million, or 15.3%, in 2025. Nine-month operating income rose to $3,645 million from $3,153 million, lifting…
• Stock Repurchase ProgramImportance 46 · Surprise 42
  Waste Management paid $1,583 million for common stock repurchases during the nine months ended September 30, 2026. The company made no share repurchases in the comparable 2025 period. The filing directs readers to the…
• Tax LegislationImportance 46 · Surprise 42
  The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides tax incentives for renewable energy production and other climate actions. The Company expects cumulative Section 48 investment tax credits of $400 million to $425 million;…
• Revenue Performance and MixImportance 43 · Surprise 32
  Third-quarter 2026 revenue was $6,846 million, up $403 million (6.3%) from $6,443 million in the prior-year quarter; nine-month revenue rose 4.6%, from $18,891 million to $19,757 million. Collection and Disposal…
• Operating Cash Flow and Free Cash FlowImportance 41 · Surprise 48
  Third-quarter net cash provided by operating activities increased $48 million to $1,640 million from $1,592 million in 2025. Free cash flow rose $164 million to $985 million from $821 million, reflecting higher…
• Capital AllocationImportance 37 · Surprise 6
  Waste Management allocated $957 million of available cash to shareholders through dividends and common-stock repurchases in the third quarter of 2026. The company said operating cash flow supports dividend payments,…
• Recycling Commodity PricingImportance 35 · Surprise 48
  Average market prices for single-stream recycled commodities increased 20% in the third quarter of 2026 but decreased 7% for the first nine months, compared with the prior-year periods. Recycling Processing and Sales…
• Operating Expense TrendsImportance 33 · Surprise 32
  Selling, general and administrative expense declined $10 million in the third quarter, to $655 million from $665 million, and fell to 9.6% of revenue from 10.3%. Nine-month expense was $2,045 million, compared with…
• Products and TechnologyImportance 31 · Surprise 42
  The company is automating and optimizing service delivery, with a focus on customer experience, recycling, and residential collection to reduce labor dependency and expand digital self-service. Recycling facility…
• Segment ProfitabilityImportance 31 · Surprise 32
  Collection and Disposal operating income increased 5.0% in the third quarter and 6.5% for the first nine months of 2026, supported by pricing, efficiency improvements, and lower landfill impairment charges than in…
• Customer DynamicsImportance 25 · Surprise 32
  The company intentionally shed lower-margin residential collection business, contributing to lower collection volumes. Healthcare Solutions’ revenues were relatively unchanged in the third quarter and decreased $42…
• Market Demand TrendsImportance 25 · Surprise 32
  Company-wide revenues from volume, excluding acquisitions, divestitures, and Healthcare Solutions, increased $53 million, or 0.8%, in the third quarter and $43 million, or 0.2%, in the first nine months of 2026.…
• Income Tax Rate ChangesImportance 24 · Surprise 30
  Third-quarter 2026 income tax expense was $224 million at an effective rate of 21.5%, compared with $172 million at 22.2% in the prior-year quarter. Nine-month tax expense increased to $630 million from $524 million,…
• Inflationary Cost PressuresImportance 10 · Surprise 6
  The company identifies inflation, interest rates, employment trends and supply chain reliability as sources of uncertainty in its financial outlook. It seeks to mitigate inflationary costs through pricing, cost…

Revenue by Product (in millions)