Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, trash hauler Waste Management
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Waste Management's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Waste Management facts
| Headquarters (Founded) | Houston (1987) |
| Market Cap | $16.1 billion |
| Industry | Waste management |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $13.2 billion |
| Management | CEO David Steiner (since 2004) CFO Steven Preston (since 2011) |
| Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) | 15.7% |
| Cash/Debt | $282.0 million / $9.7 billion |
| Dividend Yield | 3.9% |
| Competitors |
Casella Waste Systems Republic Services Waste Connections |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 98% of the 2,576 members who have rated Waste Management believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.
Just last week, one of those bulls, fellow Fool Chuck Saletta (TMFBigFrog), tapped Waste Management as an ideal long-term opportunity:
The best companies to own for the long haul are ones that share a few key characteristics:
• They provide a necessary product or service.
• They build difficult to surmount barriers to competition.
• They directly reward their shareholders for the risks of investing, and
• They don't over-leverage their balance sheets with too much debt.
One of the few companies that fit all those criteria is trash kingpin Waste Management.
Of course, despite its five-star rating, Waste Management may not be your top choice. If that's the case, we've compiled a special free report for investors called "Secure Your Future With 11 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks," which uncovers several other juicy income opportunities. The report is 100% free, but it won't be around forever, so click here to access it now.
Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the new TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.
