Sectors & IndustriesIndustrialsWaste Management

Best Waste Management Stocks to Buy Now (2025)

Top waste management stocks in 2025 ranked by overall Zen Rating. "A" Rated stocks have returned an average of +32.52% per year, and are the best waste management stocks to buy now. Learn More.

According to Zen Ratings, our proprietary rating system that evaluates 115 factors proven to drive growth in stocks and assigns each stock in our system an overall letter grade as well as 7 individual Component Grades for Value, Growth, Momentum, Sentiment, Safety, Financials, and proprietary AI algorithms, the 3 best waste management stocks to buy right now are:

Montrose Environmental Group (NYSE:MEG) is the #1 top waste management stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of B. Stocks with a rating of B have had an average return of +19.88% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Montrose Environmental Group (NYSE:MEG) is: Value: C, Growth: A, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: B.

Montrose Environmental Group (NYSE:MEG) has a Due Diligence Score of 18, which is -5 points lower than the waste management industry average of 23. Although this number is below the industry average, our proven quant model rates MEG as a "B".

MEG passed 6 out of 33 due diligence checks and has weak fundamentals. Montrose Environmental Group has seen its stock return 9.08% over the past year, overperforming other waste management stocks by 26 percentage points.

Montrose Environmental Group has an average 1 year price target of $33.00, an upside of 13.52% from Montrose Environmental Group's current stock price of $29.07.

Montrose Environmental Group stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 3 analysts covering Montrose Environmental Group, 33.33% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 33.33% have issued a Buy, 33.33% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) is the #2 top waste management stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +7.53% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) is: Value: C, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: B, Financials: C, and AI: B.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) has a Due Diligence Score of 27, which is 4 points higher than the waste management industry average of 23.

WCN passed 10 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Waste Connections has seen its stock lose -0.97% over the past year, overperforming other waste management stocks by 16 percentage points.

Waste Connections has an average 1 year price target of $211.91, an upside of 19.84% from Waste Connections's current stock price of $176.82.

Waste Connections stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 11 analysts covering Waste Connections, 36.36% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 45.45% have issued a Buy, 18.18% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) is the #3 top waste management stock out of 21 with a Zen Rating of C. Stocks with a rating of C have had an average return of +7.53% per year. Learn more.

The Component Grade breakdown for Waste Management (NYSE:WM) is: Value: B, Growth: C, Momentum: C, Sentiment: C, Safety: C, Financials: C, and AI: B.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) has a Due Diligence Score of 40, which is 17 points higher than the waste management industry average of 23.

WM passed 14 out of 38 due diligence checks and has average fundamentals. Waste Management has seen its stock return 2.75% over the past year, overperforming other waste management stocks by 20 percentage points.

Waste Management has an average 1 year price target of $256.62, an upside of 19.54% from Waste Management's current stock price of $214.66.

Waste Management stock has a consensus Buy recommendation according to Wall Street analysts. Of the 13 analysts covering Waste Management, 38.46% have issued a Strong Buy rating, 23.08% have issued a Buy, 38.46% have issued a hold, while 0% have issued a Sell rating, and 0% have issued a Strong Sell.

Out of 3 waste management stocks that have issued dividends in the past year, the 3 waste management stocks with the highest dividend yields are:

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) has an annual dividend yield of 1.5%, which is 1 percentage points higher than the waste management industry average of 0.78%. Waste Management's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Waste Management's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Waste Management's dividend payout ratio of 46.7% indicates that its dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) has an annual dividend yield of 1.06%, which is the same as the waste management industry average of 0.78%. Republic Services's dividend payout is stable, having never dropped by more than 10% in the last 10 years. Republic Services's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Republic Services's dividend payout ratio of 34.2% indicates that its dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) has an annual dividend yield of 0.53%, which is the same as the waste management industry average of 0.78%. Waste Connections's dividend payout is not stable, having dropped more than 10% one times in the last 10 years. Waste Connections's dividend has shown consistent growth over the last 10 years.

Waste Connections's dividend payout ratio of 52.3% indicates that its dividend yield is sustainable for the long-term.

Waste management stocks were down -0.3% in the last day, and up 1.45% over the last week.

We couldn't find a catalyst for why waste management stocks are down.

Based on the Valuation rating, one of the 7 components of a stocks overall Zen Ratings grade, which evaluates factors including estimated earnings yield, earnings before interest and taxes/enterprise value, cash flow yield, free cash flow to price, and price-to-earnings growth (PEG ratio), the 3 most undervalued waste management stocks right now are:

Waste Management (NYSE:WM) is the most undervalued waste management stock based on its Valuation Rating of B. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Waste Management has a valuation score of 29, which is 5 points higher than the waste management industry average of 24. It passed 2 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Waste Management's stock has gained 2.75% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the waste management industry by 20 percentage points.

Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) is the second most undervalued waste management stock based on its Valuation Rating of C. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Clean Harbors has a valuation score of 43, which is 19 points higher than the waste management industry average of 24. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Clean Harbors's stock has dropped -3.96% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the waste management industry by 13 percentage points.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) is the third most undervalued waste management stock based on its Valuation Rating of C. Valuation is one of 7 Component Grades used to calculate the overall Zen Rating.

Republic Services has a valuation score of 43, which is 19 points higher than the waste management industry average of 24. It passed 3 out of 7 valuation due diligence checks.

Republic Services's stock has gained 10.7% in the past year. It has overperformed other stocks in the waste management industry by 28 percentage points.

87.5% of waste management stocks rated by analysts are a buy right now. On average, analysts expect waste management stocks to rise by 17.07% over the next year.

0% of waste management stocks have a Zen Rating of A (Strong Buy), 6.67% of waste management stocks are rated B (Buy), 53.33% are rated C (Hold), 13.33% are rated D (Sell), and 26.67% are rated F (Strong Sell).