Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $239.13.

RSG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus set a $260.00 price objective on Republic Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Cibc World Mkts raised shares of Republic Services from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $233.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Friday, February 14th.

Republic Services Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE RSG traded down $0.51 on Tuesday, hitting $243.11. The company had a trading volume of 837,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,116,459. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Republic Services has a 12-month low of $180.92 and a 12-month high of $249.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.46, a PEG ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50 day moving average of $235.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $217.77.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The business services provider reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $4.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.08 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.74% and a return on equity of 18.28%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.41 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Republic Services will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. Republic Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 35.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Gregg Brummer sold 6,293 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $228.20, for a total transaction of $1,436,062.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 10,416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,376,931.20. This trade represents a 37.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Republic Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Republic Services by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 9,973 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $2,415,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Republic Services by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 8,648 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,740,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Republic Services by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,154 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Republic Services by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,213 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $445,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, FORA Capital LLC grew its stake in Republic Services by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. FORA Capital LLC now owns 7,659 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $1,541,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Services Company Profile

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.