WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) Stock Fundamental Analysis
NYSE:WCN • CA94106B1013
172.57 USD
-0.59 (-0.34%)
At close: Mar 3, 2026
172.57 USD
0 (0%)
After Hours: 3/3/2026, 6:40:00 PM
Overall WCN gets a fundamental rating of 5 out of 10. We evaluated WCN against 81 industry peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. WCN scores excellent on profitability, but there are concerns on its financial health. WCN is quite expensive at the moment. It does show a decent growth rate.
1. Profitability
1.1 Basic Checks
- In the past year WCN was profitable.
- In the past year WCN had a positive cash flow from operations.
- WCN had positive earnings in each of the past 5 years.
- Each year in the past 5 years WCN had a positive operating cash flow.
1.2 Ratios
- WCN has a Return On Assets of 5.10%. This is in the better half of the industry: WCN outperforms 72.84% of its industry peers.
- WCN has a better Return On Equity (13.06%) than 71.60% of its industry peers.
- WCN has a Return On Invested Capital of 7.60%. This is in the better half of the industry: WCN outperforms 69.14% of its industry peers.
- Measured over the past 3 years, the Average Return On Invested Capital for WCN is below the industry average of 10.68%.
- The last Return On Invested Capital (7.60%) for WCN is above the 3 year average (7.41%), which is a sign of increasing profitability.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 5.1% | ||
| ROE | 13.06% | ||
| ROIC | 7.6% |
ROA(3y)4.16%
ROA(5y)4.31%
ROE(3y)10.28%
ROE(5y)10.29%
ROIC(3y)7.41%
ROIC(5y)7%
1.3 Margins
- WCN has a better Profit Margin (11.37%) than 88.89% of its industry peers.
- In the last couple of years the Profit Margin of WCN has grown nicely.
- The Operating Margin of WCN (19.48%) is better than 92.59% of its industry peers.
- In the last couple of years the Operating Margin of WCN has grown nicely.
- With a decent Gross Margin value of 42.37%, WCN is doing good in the industry, outperforming 76.54% of the companies in the same industry.
- WCN's Gross Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| OM | 19.48% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 11.37% | ||
| GM | 42.37% |
OM growth 3Y3.01%
OM growth 5Y3.6%
PM growth 3Y-0.62%
PM growth 5Y24.78%
GM growth 3Y2.05%
GM growth 5Y1.25%
2. Health
2.1 Basic Checks
- The Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is below the Cost of Capital (WACC), so WCN is destroying value.
- Compared to 1 year ago, WCN has less shares outstanding
- The number of shares outstanding for WCN has been reduced compared to 5 years ago.
- The debt/assets ratio for WCN is higher compared to a year ago.
2.2 Solvency
- WCN has an Altman-Z score of 3.10. This indicates that WCN is financially healthy and has little risk of bankruptcy at the moment.
- WCN has a better Altman-Z score (3.10) than 69.14% of its industry peers.
- The Debt to FCF ratio of WCN is 7.23, which is on the high side as it means it would take WCN, 7.23 years of fcf income to pay off all of its debts.
- WCN's Debt to FCF ratio of 7.23 is fine compared to the rest of the industry. WCN outperforms 66.67% of its industry peers.
- WCN has a Debt/Equity ratio of 1.07. This is a high value indicating a heavy dependency on external financing.
- WCN's Debt to Equity ratio of 1.07 is on the low side compared to the rest of the industry. WCN is outperformed by 67.90% of its industry peers.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 1.07 | ||
| Debt/FCF | 7.23 | ||
| Altman-Z | 3.1 |
ROIC/WACC0.96
WACC7.96%
2.3 Liquidity
- A Current Ratio of 0.62 indicates that WCN may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
- WCN has a worse Current ratio (0.62) than 87.65% of its industry peers.
- WCN has a Quick Ratio of 0.62. This is a bad value and indicates that WCN is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
- WCN has a Quick ratio of 0.58. This is amonst the worse of the industry: WCN underperforms 85.19% of its industry peers.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.62 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.58 |
3. Growth
3.1 Past
- WCN shows a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the last year, the EPS has grown by 7.52%.
- WCN shows quite a strong growth in Earnings Per Share. Measured over the last years, the EPS has been growing by 14.21% yearly.
- WCN shows a small growth in Revenue. In the last year, the Revenue has grown by 6.14%.
- Measured over the past years, WCN shows a quite strong growth in Revenue. The Revenue has been growing by 11.69% on average per year.
EPS 1Y (TTM)7.52%
EPS 3Y10.57%
EPS 5Y14.21%
EPS Q2Q%11.21%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)6.14%
Revenue growth 3Y9.49%
Revenue growth 5Y11.69%
Sales Q2Q%5%
3.2 Future
- WCN is expected to show quite a strong growth in Earnings Per Share. In the coming years, the EPS will grow by 8.51% yearly.
- Based on estimates for the next years, WCN will show a small growth in Revenue. The Revenue will grow by 6.27% on average per year.
EPS Next Y11.61%
EPS Next 2Y12.62%
EPS Next 3Y13.89%
EPS Next 5Y8.51%
Revenue Next Year5.38%
Revenue Next 2Y5.87%
Revenue Next 3Y6.21%
Revenue Next 5Y6.27%
3.3 Evolution
- When comparing the EPS growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is decreasing.
- The Revenue growth rate is decreasing: in the next years the growth will be less than in the last years.
4. Valuation
4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio
- With a Price/Earnings ratio of 33.51, WCN can be considered very expensive at the moment.
- WCN's Price/Earnings ratio is in line with the industry average.
- WCN is valuated rather expensively when we compare the Price/Earnings ratio to 26.83, which is the current average of the S&P500 Index.
- The Price/Forward Earnings ratio is 30.02, which means the current valuation is very expensive for WCN.
- Based on the Price/Forward Earnings ratio, WCN is valued a bit cheaper than 61.73% of the companies in the same industry.
- The average S&P500 Price/Forward Earnings ratio is at 24.95. WCN is valued slightly more expensive when compared to this.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 33.51 | ||
| Fwd PE | 30.02 |
4.2 Price Multiples
- Compared to the rest of the industry, the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio of WCN is on the same level as its industry peers.
- WCN's Price/Free Cash Flow ratio is in line with the industry average.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| P/FCF | 36.22 | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 17.26 |
4.3 Compensation for Growth
- The high PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates an expensive valuation of the company.
- The excellent profitability rating of WCN may justify a higher PE ratio.
- WCN's earnings are expected to grow with 13.89% in the coming years. This may justify a more expensive valuation.
PEG (NY)2.89
PEG (5Y)2.36
EPS Next 2Y12.62%
EPS Next 3Y13.89%
5. Dividend
5.1 Amount
- WCN has a yearly dividend return of 0.81%, which is pretty low.
- WCN's Dividend Yield is a higher than the industry average which is at 0.79.
- Compared to an average S&P500 Dividend Yield of 1.82, WCN's dividend is way lower than the S&P500 average.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.81% |
5.2 History
- The dividend of WCN is nicely growing with an annual growth rate of 11.37%!
- WCN has been paying a dividend for at least 10 years, so it has a reliable track record.
- WCN has not decreased its dividend in the last 3 years.
Dividend Growth(5Y)11.37%
Div Incr Years3
Div Non Decr Years3
5.3 Sustainability
- 31.01% of the earnings are spent on dividend by WCN. This is a low number and sustainable payout ratio.
- The dividend of WCN is growing, but the earnings are growing slower. This means the dividend growth is not sustainable.
DP31.01%
EPS Next 2Y12.62%
EPS Next 3Y13.89%
172.57
-0.59 (-0.34%)
Chartmill FA Rating
GICS SectorIndustrials
GICS IndustryGroupCommercial & Professional Services
GICS IndustryCommercial Services & Supplies
Earnings (Last)02-11 2026-02-11/amc
Earnings (Next)04-21 2026-04-21/amc
Inst Owners89.12%
Inst Owner Change2.35%
Ins Owners0.11%
Ins Owner Change5.01%
Market Cap44.18B
Revenue(TTM)9.47B
Net Income(TTM)1.08B
Analysts83
Price Target149.42 (-13.41%)
Short Float %0.79%
Short Ratio1.22
Dividend
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.81% |
Yearly Dividend1.3
Dividend Growth(5Y)11.37%
DP31.01%
Div Incr Years3
Div Non Decr Years3
Ex-Date02-25 2026-02-25 (0.35)
Surprises & Revisions
EPS beat(2)1
Avg EPS beat(2)1.4%
Min EPS beat(2)-0.31%
Max EPS beat(2)3.11%
EPS beat(4)3
Avg EPS beat(4)1.65%
Min EPS beat(4)-0.31%
Max EPS beat(4)3.11%
EPS beat(8)6
Avg EPS beat(8)1.47%
EPS beat(12)9
Avg EPS beat(12)1.17%
EPS beat(16)11
Avg EPS beat(16)1.38%
Revenue beat(2)0
Avg Revenue beat(2)-0.71%
Min Revenue beat(2)-0.82%
Max Revenue beat(2)-0.59%
Revenue beat(4)0
Avg Revenue beat(4)-0.65%
Min Revenue beat(4)-0.82%
Max Revenue beat(4)-0.45%
Revenue beat(8)2
Avg Revenue beat(8)-0.2%
Revenue beat(12)2
Avg Revenue beat(12)-0.36%
Revenue beat(16)5
Avg Revenue beat(16)-0.21%
PT rev (1m)0.95%
PT rev (3m)-27.15%
EPS NQ rev (1m)-5.12%
EPS NQ rev (3m)-5.16%
EPS NY rev (1m)0%
EPS NY rev (3m)-0.16%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)-0.96%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)-1.04%
Revenue NY rev (1m)-0.41%
Revenue NY rev (3m)-0.44%
Valuation
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 33.51 | ||
| Fwd PE | 30.02 | ||
| P/S | 4.67 | ||
| P/FCF | 36.22 | ||
| P/OCF | 18.3 | ||
| P/B | 5.36 | ||
| P/tB | N/A | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 17.26 |
EPS(TTM)5.15
EY2.98%
EPS(NY)5.75
Fwd EY3.33%
FCF(TTM)4.76
FCFY2.76%
OCF(TTM)9.43
OCFY5.46%
SpS36.98
BVpS32.21
TBVpS-8.41
PEG (NY)2.89
PEG (5Y)2.36
Graham Number61.09
Profitability
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 5.1% | ||
| ROE | 13.06% | ||
| ROCE | 9.7% | ||
| ROIC | 7.6% | ||
| ROICexc | 7.62% | ||
| ROICexgc | 16.88% | ||
| OM | 19.48% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 11.37% | ||
| GM | 42.37% | ||
| FCFM | 12.88% |
ROA(3y)4.16%
ROA(5y)4.31%
ROE(3y)10.28%
ROE(5y)10.29%
ROIC(3y)7.41%
ROIC(5y)7%
ROICexc(3y)7.44%
ROICexc(5y)7.03%
ROICexgc(3y)16.68%
ROICexgc(5y)15.84%
ROCE(3y)9.46%
ROCE(5y)8.93%
ROICexgc growth 3Y5.3%
ROICexgc growth 5Y5.84%
ROICexc growth 3Y5.56%
ROICexc growth 5Y6.23%
OM growth 3Y3.01%
OM growth 5Y3.6%
PM growth 3Y-0.62%
PM growth 5Y24.78%
GM growth 3Y2.05%
GM growth 5Y1.25%
F-Score6
Asset Turnover0.45
Health
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 1.07 | ||
| Debt/FCF | 7.23 | ||
| Debt/EBITDA | 2.86 | ||
| Cap/Depr | 96.94% | ||
| Cap/Sales | 12.62% | ||
| Interest Coverage | 5.98 | ||
| Cash Conversion | 78.48% | ||
| Profit Quality | 113.3% | ||
| Current Ratio | 0.62 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.58 | ||
| Altman-Z | 3.1 |
F-Score6
WACC7.96%
ROIC/WACC0.96
Cap/Depr(3y)93.59%
Cap/Depr(5y)94.33%
Cap/Sales(3y)12.03%
Cap/Sales(5y)12.17%
Profit Quality(3y)153.2%
Profit Quality(5y)149.35%
High Growth Momentum
Growth
EPS 1Y (TTM)7.52%
EPS 3Y10.57%
EPS 5Y14.21%
EPS Q2Q%11.21%
EPS Next Y11.61%
EPS Next 2Y12.62%
EPS Next 3Y13.89%
EPS Next 5Y8.51%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)6.14%
Revenue growth 3Y9.49%
Revenue growth 5Y11.69%
Sales Q2Q%5%
Revenue Next Year5.38%
Revenue Next 2Y5.87%
Revenue Next 3Y6.21%
Revenue Next 5Y6.27%
EBIT growth 1Y8.05%
EBIT growth 3Y12.78%
EBIT growth 5Y15.71%
EBIT Next Year80.5%
EBIT Next 3Y28.11%
EBIT Next 5Y19.54%
FCF growth 1Y3.99%
FCF growth 3Y3.2%
FCF growth 5Y10.39%
OCF growth 1Y8.31%
OCF growth 3Y6.08%
OCF growth 5Y11.38%
WASTE CONNECTIONS INC / WCN FAQ
What is the ChartMill fundamental rating of WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) stock?
ChartMill assigns a fundamental rating of 5 / 10 to WCN.
What is the valuation status of WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) stock?
ChartMill assigns a valuation rating of 3 / 10 to WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN). This can be considered as Overvalued.
What is the profitability of WCN stock?
WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) has a profitability rating of 8 / 10.
What are the PE and PB ratios of WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) stock?
The Price/Earnings (PE) ratio for WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) is 33.51 and the Price/Book (PB) ratio is 5.36.
Can you provide the dividend sustainability for WCN stock?
The dividend rating of WASTE CONNECTIONS INC (WCN) is 5 / 10 and the dividend payout ratio is 31.01%.