Waste Connections Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y

Waste Connections. Inc. WCN reported mixed fourth-quarter 2024 results, wherein earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimates, while revenues beat the same.See Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.The stock price has not witnessed any significant impact of the earnings miss since the company released results on Feb. 12.Waste Connections’ adjusted earnings (excluding $1.92 from non-recurring items) of $1.16 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.3% but increased 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Revenues of $2.3 billion beat the consensus estimate marginally and grew 11% from the year-ago quarter.WCN shares have gained 12.6% over the past year compared with the 13% rally of the industry it belongs to.Waste Connections, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise  Waste Connections, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Waste Connections, Inc. QuoteSegmental Information for WCNThe Solid Waste Collection segment’s revenues grew 7.4% year over year to $1.6 billion and met our estimate. The Solid Waste Disposal and Transfer segment’s revenues grew 6.9% from the year-ago quarter to $718.5 million and outpaced our expectation of $437.6 million.The Solid Waste Recycling segment’s revenues increased 44.7% on a year-over-year basis to $63.3 million. The figure beat our estimate of $56.2 million. The Intermodal and Other segment’s revenues declined 6.4% from the year-ago quarter to $45.9 million, which missed our projection of $51.1 million.The E&P Waste Treatment, Recovery and Disposal segment’s revenues soared more than 100% from the year-ago quarter to $146.3 million, surpassing our estimate of $59.9 million.Waste Connections’ Operating ResultsAdjusted EBITDA in the reported quarter was $656 million, down 10.4% from the year-ago quarter. The adjusted EBITDA margin was 32.4%, which decreased 20 basis points from the year-ago quarter.Operating loss totaled $199.2 million against the year-ago operating income of $224.5 million.Balance Sheet & Cash FlowWaste Connections exited the fourth quarter of 2024 with cash and cash equivalents of $62.4 compared with $78.4 million at the end of the preceding quarter. The long-term debt was $6.7 billion, flat with the previous quarter.In the reported quarter, WCN generated $568.9 million in cash from operating activities. The adjusted free cash flow was $173.8 million. Capital expenditure totaled $396.7 million. The company paid out $81 million worth of dividends in the quarter.WCN’s 2025 OutlookFor 2025, Waste Connections expects revenues of $9.45-$9.6 billion. The mid-point ($9.52 billion) of the guided range is in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company expects adjusted EBITDA of $3.12-$3.2 billion. The EBITDA margin is anticipated to be 33-33.3%.Waste Connections carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Earnings SnapshotRepublic Services, Inc. RSG reported mixed fourth-quarter 2024 results.RSG’s earnings per share (excluding 5 cents from non-recurring items) of $1.58 outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 15.3% and grew 12.1% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $4 billion missed the consensus mark by a slight margin but increased 5.6% year over year.IQVIA Holdings Analytics Inc. IQV posted impressive fourth-quarter 2024 results.IQV’s adjusted earnings were $3.12 per share, outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate marginally and rising 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Total revenues of $4 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by a slight margin and grew 2.3% from the year-ago quarter.Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and SellsWe're not kidding.Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent.Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. We want you to get acquainted with our portfolio services like Surprise Trader, Stocks Under $10, Technology Innovators,and more, that closed 256 positions with double- and triple-digit gains in 2024 alone.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Republic Services, Inc. (RSG): Free Stock Analysis Report Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN): Free Stock Analysis Report IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks