Summer Sale
50% off Premium Yearly
Opinions Peter Hodson
Waste ConnectionsWCN.TOPAST TOP PICKJan 15, 2016
Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 19, 2026. Market Open.
You might be interested:
Defensive. Their business model works in any business cycle, including a downturn. They have contracts with energy companies, which may suffer a bit, but garbage needs to be collected consistently. They run an efficient business and make accretive buys of companies. Has long owned this.
(Analysts’ price target is $211.10)
Andrew PinkThe question was on comparing WSP Global and Waste Connections. The companies are very different. WCN is in the waste management business and WSP Global is more on the engineering side. Waste management is an important field and a consistent business. WCN traditionally has had an expensive valuation. Both are good companies. Hold or wait to buy.
Loves it. There's room for growth in volumes as well as margin expansion.
Michael DecterHas done well. Classified as an industrial, but it doesn't have cyclicality. Pricing power and acquisitions drive the long-term growth. Operate in a lot of uncontested markets. Should continue growing at high single-digit pace. Zero product obsolescence. Sold, and high-graded his portfolio to WM instead. Both are good.
It is in the waste collection business - a very defensive place to be. A lot of contracts are tied to the CPI so revenues are bumped up and it can raise prices. Has owned for a long time and will buy more.
Barry Schwartz
Javed MirzaBarry Schwartz
Varun Anand
WCN vs. WM Fell last year, and now is picking up steam. It's more of a utility industrial than a cyclical. If you want cyclical, look at CAT or other industrial names. 28x forward earnings for 11% growth, so a bit rich for him. Fundamentally, a great business. WM has a better valuation than WCN and growth is about the same. To choose, he'd pick the larger one, which is WM.
Stockchase Discover
(A Top Pick Feb 4/15. Down 4.18%.) Recently put themselves up for sale. Sometimes when that happens, it is because they have heard that someone is interested in buying them, so put themselves up for auction to get a better price. Thinks it is probably worth $6-$7 more in a take out. They generate cash flow across North America in US$, and with lower fuel costs helping their margins it wouldn’t be a bad trade for a big conglomerate to scoop it in and get a cash flow.