Waste Management Reports Strong Q1 2026 Results, Nearly Doubling Free Cash Flow and Reaffirming Full-Year Outlook
WM sits 17% above its 52-week low of $194.11.
Summary
Waste Management, Inc. announced robust first-quarter 2026 financial results, featuring significant growth in revenue, adjusted operating EBITDA, and a near doubling of free cash flow, while reaffirming its full-year financial outlook.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · WM
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Strong Q1 Financial Performance
Revenue grew 3.5% to $6.23 billion, with adjusted operating EBITDA increasing 5.9% to $1.85 billion and diluted EPS rising 8.4% to $1.81.
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Free Cash Flow Nearly Doubled
Net cash from operating activities increased 24.2% to $1.5 billion, and free cash flow surged 93.7% to $920 million.
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Full-Year Outlook Reaffirmed
The company reiterated its previously provided full-year financial outlook, signaling confidence in sustained performance.
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Significant Shareholder Returns
Waste Management returned $729 million to shareholders in Q1, comprising $385 million in cash dividends and $344 million in share repurchases.
Analysis · WM · Energy & Transportation
The filing details Waste Management's robust Q1 2026 performance, exceeding expectations with a 3.5% revenue increase and 5.9% adjusted operating EBITDA growth. Notably, free cash flow nearly doubled to $920 million, demonstrating strong operational efficiency and cash generation. The reaffirmation of the full-year financial outlook provides confidence in the company's continued trajectory. These results, coupled with significant shareholder returns through dividends and share repurchases, indicate a healthy financial position and effective capital allocation. The completion of new recycling facilities also highlights ongoing strategic investments.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Sep 14, 2026, 35.8% of the 1045 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.43%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, WM was trading at $226.50 on NYSE in the Energy & Transportation sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $91.6B. The 52-week trading range was $194.11 to $248.13. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.