CWST

Casella Waste Systems

$86.40

-0.50%
May 4, 2026
Bobby Quantitative Model
Casella Waste Systems Inc is a solid waste removal and resource management company operating in the industrials sector, providing services including collection, recycling, landfills, and energy recovery to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the Eastern, Western, and Mid-Atlantic United States. The company is a regional leader in the fragmented waste management industry, distinguished by its integrated service platform that spans the entire waste stream from collection to disposal and resource recovery. The current investor narrative is heavily focused on the company's aggressive growth-by-acquisition strategy, as evidenced by its recent completion of the Star Waste Systems acquisition in April 2026, which is aimed at enhancing its density and market position in the strategic Boston area, while debates likely center on the integration costs and the impact of these deals on near-term profitability and leverage.

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CWST 12-Month Price Forecast

Historical Price
Current Price $86.4
Average Target $86.4
High Target $99.36
Low Target $73.44

Wall Street consensus

Most Wall Street analysts maintain a constructive view on Casella Waste Systems's 12-month outlook, with a consensus price target around $112.32 and implied upside of +30.0% versus the current price.

Average Target

$112.32

3 analysts

Implied Upside

+30.0%

vs. current price

Analyst Count

3

covering this stock

Price Range

$69 - $112

Analyst target range

Buy
0 (0%)
Hold
1 (33%)
Sell
2 (67%)

Analyst coverage for CWST is limited, with only 3 analysts providing estimates, indicating this is a smaller-cap stock with less institutional research focus, which can contribute to higher volatility and less efficient price discovery. The consensus sentiment, inferred from recent institutional ratings, is mixed but leans cautiously optimistic, with firms like UBS and Jefferies maintaining or upgrading to Buy ratings, while Barclays and JP Morgan have Neutral/Equal Weight stances. The average revenue estimate for the forward period is $2.70 billion, with a tight range between $2.67 billion and $2.73 billion, suggesting strong conviction on the top-line trajectory. A formal consensus price target is not provided in the data, so implied upside cannot be calculated, but the recent rating actions and acquisition news provide the primary sentiment signal. The range of analyst views is evident in the institutional ratings: the high-case bullish thesis, as seen in Strong Buy ratings from Raymond James, likely assumes successful acquisition integration leading to margin expansion and market share gains. The more cautious Neutral views from Barclays and JP Morgan likely price in execution risks, competitive pressures, and the potential for continued earnings volatility. The recent upgrade by Jefferies from Hold to Buy in January 2026 is a positive signal, suggesting some analysts see the sell-off as overdone and the acquisition strategy as beginning to bear fruit.

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CWST Technical Analysis

The stock is in a pronounced downtrend, with a 1-year price change of -26.0% and a 6-month decline of -2.0%, indicating sustained negative momentum. The current price of $86.83 sits at approximately 18% of its 52-week range (between $74.05 and $121.24), positioning it much closer to its 52-week low than its high, which suggests the stock is deeply oversold and may represent a value opportunity, though it also signals significant fundamental or market-driven headwinds. Recent momentum shows a sharp divergence, with a 1-month gain of 6.5% and a 3-month loss of -13.9%, indicating a potential short-term rebound attempt from deeply oversold levels, as seen in the price recovering from a low near $75 in late March to its current level. The 1-month relative strength of -3.5% versus the SPY's 10.0% gain, however, shows this rebound is still lagging the broader market's rally, suggesting the recovery is fragile. Key technical support is firmly established at the 52-week low of $74.05, while major resistance lies at the 52-week high of $121.24. A sustained breakdown below $74 would signal a new leg down in the downtrend, whereas a recovery above the recent high near $107 from February is needed to suggest a more meaningful trend reversal. The stock's volatility is not explicitly quantified by beta in the data, but the 37.7% max drawdown and the wide 52-week range indicate it has experienced significantly higher volatility than the market, which necessitates careful risk management for investors.

Beta

0.77

0.77x market volatility

Max Drawdown

-37.7%

Largest decline past year

52-Week Range

$74-$121

Price range past year

Annual Return

-26.0%

Cumulative gain past year

PeriodCWST ReturnS&P 500
1m-0.9%+9.5%
3m-16.3%+4.1%
6m-4.0%+6.0%
1y-26.0%+26.7%
ytd-12.4%+5.3%

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CWST Fundamental Analysis

Revenue growth remains positive but has shown deceleration, with Q4 2025 revenue of $469.1 million representing a 9.7% year-over-year increase, though this is a slowdown from the stronger growth rates seen in prior quarters of 2025 (e.g., Q3 revenue was $485.4 million). Segment data reveals the Collection business is the primary driver, contributing $307.7 million in the latest period, while Landfill and Processing Services provide additional revenue streams of $70.9 million and $107.5 million, respectively. The growth trajectory, supported by acquisitions, is positive but the sequential decline from Q3 to Q4 raises questions about organic momentum. Profitability is highly inconsistent and currently weak, with the company reporting a net loss of -$2.5 million in Q4 2025 (net margin of -0.5%) and a gross margin of 16.4%. This contrasts sharply with the profitable Q3 2025, which saw net income of $10.0 million and a gross margin of 18.8%, indicating significant quarterly volatility in earnings. The trailing twelve-month net margin is a mere 0.43%, which is low for the industry and underscores the challenge of translating top-line growth into bottom-line results, likely due to acquisition-related costs and integration expenses. The balance sheet shows moderate leverage with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, and the company maintains adequate liquidity with a current ratio of 1.26. Free cash flow generation is a strength, with TTM FCF of $84.7 million, providing internal funding for growth and debt service. However, the Return on Equity is very low at 0.50%, and the Return on Assets is 1.79%, indicating inefficient use of shareholder capital and assets to generate profits, which is a key area for improvement.

Quarterly Revenue

$469055000.0B

2025-12

Revenue YoY Growth

+0.09%

YoY Comparison

Gross Margin

+0.16%

Latest Quarter

Free Cash Flow

$84705000.0B

Last 12 Months

Revenue & Net Income Trends (2 Years)

Revenue Breakdown

Collection
Landfill - Gas To Energy
Landfill Revenue
Processing Services
Transfer
Transportation

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Valuation Analysis: Is CWST Overvalued?

Given the company's inconsistent profitability, with a trailing net income that is marginally positive at approximately $0.0013 per share, the trailing P/E ratio is astronomically high at 789.7x and is not meaningful. Therefore, the Price-to-Sales (PS) ratio is a more appropriate primary valuation metric. The stock trades at a trailing PS ratio of 3.38x and a forward PS ratio (based on estimated revenue of $2.70 billion) of approximately 2.30x, implying the market expects revenue growth to improve efficiency. The forward EV/Sales ratio of 3.27x provides a similar enterprise-level perspective. Compared to industry averages, specific sector multiples are not provided in the data, but a PS ratio in the low-3x range is generally in line with or at a slight premium to many traditional waste management peers, which often trade between 2x and 3x sales, suggesting the market is pricing in Casella's growth strategy. Historically, the stock's own valuation has compressed significantly; its current PS ratio of 3.38x is near the bottom of its multi-year historical range, as seen in ratios above 13x as recently as Q4 2025 (based on a different calculation methodology in the historical data). This dramatic de-rating to near historical lows suggests the market has severely discounted the stock due to profitability concerns and the broader sell-off, potentially creating a value scenario if fundamentals stabilize.

PE

789.7x

Latest Quarter

vs. Historical

High-End

5-Year PE Range -684x~351x

vs. Industry Avg

N/A

Industry PE ~N/A*

EV/EBITDA

18.6x

Enterprise Value Multiple