Waste Management (NYSE: WM) reported Q4 EPS of $1.13, $0.07 better than the analyst estimate of $1.06. Revenue for the quarter came in at $3.84 billion versus the consensus estimate of $3.79 billion.

• Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2018 were $3.84 billion, compared with $3.65 billion for the same 2017 period. Net income for the quarter was $531 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, compared with net income of $903 million, or $2.06 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2017.(a)
• On an adjusted basis, earnings per diluted share were $1.13 for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared with $0.85 for the fourth quarter of 2017.(b)

Jim Fish, President and Chief Executive Officer of Waste Management, commented, “2018 was a record-setting year for Waste Management, driven by our traditional solid waste performance. We grew operating EBITDA by more than 5%, which led to an increase in net cash provided by operations of more than 12% to $3.57 billion.(c) This growth translated into free cash flow of over $2 billion and the most cash returned to our shareholders in over a decade.(b) Our strong 2018 results validate that our focus on outstanding customer experience and cost management drives solid growth in our business.”

GUIDANCE:

Waste Management sees FY2019 EPS of $4.28-$4.38, versus the consensus of $4.43.

For earnings history and earnings-related data on Waste Management (WM) click here.