WM ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating 263 active landfills and about 332 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and medical end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.

Houston-based Waste Management Inc. is North America's leading provider of comprehensive waste management services, serving municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers. The company has six business segments: Collection, Landfill, Transfer, Recycling, Healthcare Solutions and Renewable Energy. It is also a leading developer, operator, and owner of landfill gas-to-energy facilities, and the largest recycler in the U.S. The company has approximately 48,000 employees. The WM shares are a component of the S&P 500.

Monday Tee Up: Tariffs, Jobs, Earnings Newly imposed U.S. tariffs (and the responses to them by the impacted countries) combine with the jobs report (due to hit the tape on Friday) and the ongoing flood or earnings reports to set the stage for a busy week. Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3%, the S&P 500 fell 1.0%, and the Nasdaq dropped 1.6%. So far in 2025, the DJIA is up 5%, the S&P is up 3%, and the Nasdaq is up 2%. Over the weekend, President Trump imposed tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada. Canada announced their own retaliatory tariffs and, as of this writing, Mexico intends to respond. China said it will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization. The markets likely will experience some volatility as Wall Street assesses the impact of the tariffs. Items to consider are possible increased prices, supply-chain hiccups, changes to consumer spending patterns, and an uptick in overall inflation. Meanwhile, the earnings flow continues. On Monday, Palantir, Tyson Foods, and Clorox are among the companies that will report; on Tuesday, Alphabet, Advanced Micro, Merck, Amgen, and PepsiCo; on Wednesday, Novo Nordisk, Qualcomm, Uber, and Disney; on Thursday, Amazon.com, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Honeywell, and ConocoPhillips; and on Friday, Fortive, Kimco, and Cboe Global. Some 178 (or 36%) of the S&P 500 companies have reported for last quarter. Earnings so far are showing 12% growth from the prior-year quarter. That compares to a 9% growth rate last quarter. The Financial sector has had the most companies report, and the growth rate so far is 13%, according to Refinitiv. Argus forecasts S&P 500 EPS growth in 2025 at 12%. For 2026, we forecast 11. On the economic calendar, the Nonfarm Payrolls report for January comes out on Friday. Though that report will get the most attention, the Call of the Week from Argus' Chief Economist Chris Graja, CFA, is Nonfarm Productivity. Chris expects growth to top 2%, while the consensus is 1.7%. Chris offers the following thoughts. 'While the jobs report provides a timely assessment of how the economy is doing, productivity, though volatile, is the best measure of a country's long-term prosperity and of workers ability to earn more than the inflation rate. Worker prosperity will dominate the American political landscape for the next four years. Productivity growth also will reflect the degree of success from the billions being spent on Artificial Intelligence.' Last week, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, as expected. Mortgage rates dipped one basis point, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage now at 6.95%, according to FreddieMac. Gas prices fell a penny to an average of $3.10 per gallon for regular gas. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow indicator is forecasting for 1Q and calls for expansion of 2.9%. The Cleveland Fed Inflation Nowcast is forecasting for January and is at 2.85%. The next Fed rate decision is on March 19, with odds at 17% for a rate cut, according to the CME FedWatch rate tool. After that, the next meeting is in early May.

WM ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating 263 active landfills and about 332 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and medical end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.