Advertisement
WCN vs WM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Waste Connections (WCN) vs. Waste Management (WM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Waste Connections (WCN) is a mid-cap solid-waste specialist focused on secondary and exclusive markets in the U.S. and Canada, while Waste Management (WM) is the industry's largest operator with a scale-driven model and newer growth bets in healthcare waste and renewable energy.
- Both companies delivered strong recent quarterly results, but WCN posted faster earnings growth and a sharper positive market reaction, while WM offers a larger, more diversified revenue base and a higher dividend yield.
- On valuation, WCN trades at a premium multiple to its peer group, whereas WM carries a relatively lower enterprise-value multiple but higher financial leverage.
- WM leans on scale, landfill internalization, and acquisitions such as Stericycle for growth; WCN emphasizes pricing discipline, tuck-in acquisitions, and a maturing AI and routing investment program.
- Both stocks are defensive, low-beta names, but near-term momentum and analyst sentiment currently lean more favorably toward WCN.
- For more detail on each name, visit the WCN Major News and WCN Today's Price Move pages, or the WM Major News and WM Today's Price Move pages.
- For a broader, data-driven view of the market, explore the Trending AI Robots page.
Introduction
Waste Connections (WCN) and Waste Management (WM) are two of North America's most prominent environmental-services companies, competing across solid-waste collection, transfer, landfill disposal, and recycling. Because the sector generates relatively stable, recurring revenue regardless of the economic cycle, both stocks appeal to investors seeking defensive growth and consistent cash flow. Yet the two firms differ meaningfully in size, strategy, and market positioning. This stock comparison examines their recent performance, growth drivers, and risk profiles to help traders and investors evaluate which name is better positioned in the current environment.
WCN Overview and Recent Performance
WCN, or Waste Connections, Inc., focuses on non-hazardous solid-waste collection, transfer, and disposal, with particular strength in secondary and exclusive markets across the United States and Canada. Its strategy prioritizes route density, pricing discipline, and local market positioning rather than competing head-on in large urban centers. In recent weeks, the stock has shown notable strength, rising sharply after reporting third-quarter results that featured roughly 7% revenue growth and a significant year-over-year increase in earnings per share (EPS). Core pricing held firm while volume trends remained only modestly softer, and management highlighted ongoing benefits from AI-powered pricing, customer-engagement, and routing tools. Analysts responded by raising price targets, and the stock trades near the upper end of its 52-week range. Sentiment has been supported by steady margin expansion, strong free cash flow, and an active acquisition pipeline, though the shares carry a premium valuation relative to peers.
WM Overview and Recent Performance
WM, or Waste Management, Inc., is North America's largest provider of integrated environmental solutions, operating an unmatched network of landfills and transfer stations. Its scale advantage supports the internalization of collected waste, which helps protect margins. Recent market activity has been constructive, with the stock recovering over recent weeks and trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Third-quarter results showed mid-single-digit revenue growth and higher net income, alongside continued shareholder returns through dividends and buybacks. Growth is increasingly tied to newer initiatives, including the Stericycle acquisition, which expanded its Healthcare Solutions segment, and the build-out of renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities. While these ventures add diversification, they also introduce integration and commodity-price considerations. WM offers a higher dividend yield than WCN and a lower enterprise-value multiple, though it operates with meaningfully higher leverage.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron's Trending AI Robots page showcases a curated selection of AI trading bots drawn from a much larger universe of hundreds of automated strategies that trade thousands of different tickers. Only the bots best suited to current market conditions are featured in this section, with each bot offering its own trading style, strategy, timeframe, performance record, and set of covered tickers. Many of the bots featured on the page report measurable performance statistics and track records, giving users a data-driven way to evaluate their approach before following them. Whether a trader favors short-term momentum, swing trades, or longer-horizon positioning, the page organizes these options by performance and suitability. Explore the Trending AI Robots page to review the currently featured strategies.
Head-to-Head Comparison
The clearest contrast between WCN and WM is scale versus focus. WM generates roughly two-and-a-half times WCN's revenue and leverages its sprawling landfill network and vertical integration, while WCN targets high-density secondary markets where competitive intensity is lower and pricing power tends to be stronger. On growth drivers, WM is broadening into healthcare waste and RNG, adding higher-growth but more operationally complex businesses; WCN is compounding through frequent tuck-in acquisitions and a disciplined technology rollout aimed at pricing and efficiency. Risk profiles also diverge: WCN holds a cleaner relative balance sheet, while WM carries higher debt and greater exposure to acquisition integration. Momentum and analyst sentiment have recently favored WCN, which carries a "Strong Buy" consensus, while WM's consensus is closer to "Hold."
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency, recent momentum, earnings trajectory, and analyst sentiment, Tickeron's AI would likely express a relative preference for WCN in the current market. The stock's stronger recent price momentum, faster earnings growth, firmer pricing, and more constructive analyst consensus position it favorably from a trend-following standpoint. That said, WM retains structural advantages in scale, diversification, and dividend yield that could support stability over a longer horizon. The assessment is probabilistic rather than definitive, reflecting that relative positioning can shift as new earnings data and market conditions emerge.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is WCN is a StrongBuy and WM is a Buy.
WCN's MACD Histogram just turned positive
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for WCN turned positive on October 06, 2026. Looking at past instances where WCN's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 20 of 40 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 50%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 14, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on WCN as a result. In 40 of 85 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 47%.
WCN moved above its 50-day moving average on October 15, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for WCN crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 22, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 5 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 33%.
The 50-day moving average for WCN moved above the 200-day moving average on October 29, 2026. This could be a long-term bullish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an upward trend.
Following a +3.41% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WCN advanced for three days, in 145 of 322 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 45%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 70 of 210 cases where WCN Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 33%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The RSI Indicator has been in the overbought zone for 2 days. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 13 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where WCN declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 48%.
WCN broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 34 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 76, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 38 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. WCN’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 61 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 82 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (5.928) is normal, around the industry mean (47.547). P/E Ratio (44.978) is within average values for comparable stocks, (56.457). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.507) is also within normal values, averaging (1.132). Dividend Yield (0.008) settles around the average of (0.016) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (4.102) is also within normal values, averaging (72.867).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 83 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
WM in upward trend: price rose above 50-day moving average on October 15, 2026
WM moved above its 50-day moving average on October 15, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend. In 27 of 47 similar past instances, the stock price increased further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 57%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 06, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on WM as a result. In 44 of 82 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 54%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for WM just turned positive on October 06, 2026. Looking at past instances where WM's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 26 of 47 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 55%.
The 10-day moving average for WM crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on October 20, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 6 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 40%.
Following a +2.95% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where WM advanced for three days, in 161 of 334 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 48%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 139 of 286 cases where WM Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 49%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for WM moved out of overbought territory on October 28, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 42 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 19 of the 42 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 45%.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 25 of 57 cases where WM's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 44%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where WM declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 47%.
WM broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 14, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 16 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 76, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 25 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. WM’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 34 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 36 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 78 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (9.451) is normal, around the industry mean (47.547). P/E Ratio (33.145) is within average values for comparable stocks, (56.457). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (1.888) is also within normal values, averaging (1.132). Dividend Yield (0.016) settles around the average of (0.016) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.367) is also within normal values, averaging (72.867).
WCN | WM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 40 | 44 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 82 Overvalued | 78 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 34 | 16 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 61 | 34 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 38 | 25 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 83 | 36 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
WM's Valuation (78) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (82). This means that WM’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
WM's Profit vs Risk Rating (16) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (34). This means that WM’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
WM's SMR Rating (34) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (61). This means that WM’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
WM's Price Growth Rating (25) in the Environmental Services industry is in the same range as WCN (38). This means that WM’s stock grew similarly to WCN’s over the last 12 months.
WM's P/E Growth Rating (36) in the Environmental Services industry is somewhat better than the same rating for WCN (83). This means that WM’s stock grew somewhat faster than WCN’s over the last 12 months.
| WCN | WM | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 45% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 44% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 54% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 50% | 2 days ago 55% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 44% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 41% | 2 days ago 49% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 45% | 3 days ago 48% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 48% | 8 days ago 47% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 47% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 33% | 2 days ago 49% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
WCN’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green while WM’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- WCN’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- WM’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
WCN’s TA Score shows that 7 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WM’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- WCN’s TA Score: 7 bullish, 4 bearish.
- WM’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
WCN (@Environmental Services) experienced а +2.58% price change this week, while WM (@Environmental Services) price change was -0.48% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Environmental Services industry was -2.44%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -6.20%, and the average quarterly price growth was +6.12%.
Reported Earning Dates
WCN is expected to report earnings on Feb 17, 2027.
WM is expected to report earnings on Feb 03, 2027.
Industries' Descriptions
@Environmental Services (-2.44% weekly)Environmental Services includes companies that collect and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Their services include removal of toxic waste from soil, removing medical waste etc. Some companies also operate incinerators, sewerage systems, waste treatment plants, and landfills. Demand for waste management is likely to rise with increasing urbanization/industrialization. Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services, Inc., Waste Connections, Inc. and Tetra Tech, Inc. are some of the major companies in this business.
Advertisement
WM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WM has been closely correlated with RSG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 82% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if WM jumps, then RSG could also see price increases.