WM
Waste Management, Inc. Industrials - Waste Management Investor Relations →
Waste Management, Inc. (WM) closed at $226.79 as of 2026-02-02, trading 21.7% above its 200-week moving average of $186.39. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 19.5% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 75, WM is in overbought territory.
Over the past 1915 weeks of data, WM has crossed below its 200-week moving average 10 times. On average, these episodes lasted 35 weeks. Historically, investors who bought WM at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +15.8%.
With a market cap of $91.4 billion, WM is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 1.9%. Return on equity stands at 29.7%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 9.2x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in WM would have grown to $3017, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 10.8% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming WM as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -3.9% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Growth of $100: WM vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After WM Crosses Below the Line?
Across 9 historical episodes, buying WM when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +14.8% after 12 months (median +9.0%), compared to +11.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 67% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +67.6% vs +35.4% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment WM crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
WM has crossed below its 200-week MA 10 times with an average 1-year return of +15.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1989 | Jun 1990 | 53 | 43.9% | -11.1% | +18001.3% |
| Nov 1993 | Nov 1993 | 4 | 2.7% | +34.9% | +3825.6% |
| May 1994 | Jul 1994 | 12 | 10.9% | +28.7% | +3366.2% |
| Nov 1994 | Apr 1995 | 19 | 21.2% | +80.6% | +3403.5% |
| Jul 1999 | May 2003 | 201 | 63.1% | -41.0% | +1150.2% |
| Dec 2007 | Jan 2008 | 4 | 3.6% | +12.3% | +1077.5% |
| Oct 2008 | Dec 2008 | 12 | 19.7% | +15.9% | +1287.0% |
| Jan 2009 | Nov 2009 | 41 | 27.7% | +6.7% | +1003.7% |
| Aug 2011 | Sep 2011 | 6 | 5.3% | +19.5% | +958.5% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 2.0% | +11.4% | +949.7% |
| Average | 35 | — | +15.8% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02