Home Depot Inc vs Waste Management, Inc. — how do they compare? Home Depot Inc trades at $354.5 (market cap $349.77B), while Waste Management, Inc. trades at $226.76 (market cap $90.58B). The key difference: Home Depot Inc is far larger — about 3.9× Waste Management, Inc.'s market cap, and Home Depot Inc pays the higher dividend (2.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HD | WM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $349.77B | $90.58B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $423.42 | $246.51 |
52-Week Low | $297.51 | $196.77 |
Enterprise Value | $411.32B | $113.37B |
Dividend Yield | 2.66% | 1.56% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Home Depot (HD) trades at $350.78, down 1.36% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong institutional support. The company reported $159.51B in 2025 revenue with solid profitability metrics including 8.41% net income margin and 128.38% ROE. Recent earnings show mixed results with Q2 2026 expectations set at $4.73 EPS. The stock faces headwinds from weakening big-ticket demand and rising mortgage rates, but maintains strong analyst support with 59% buy ratings.
Home Depot presents a compelling long-term investment case with stable fundamentals and professional segment growth potential, though near-term challenges include housing market sensitivity and margin pressure. The consensus price target of $368.75 suggests 5.1% upside potential from current levels, supported by strong cash flow generation and dividend payments. Key risks include consumer spending volatility and competitive pressures in the home improvement sector.
WM trades at $227.68, down 0.58% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages and oversold RSI levels. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.02, beating estimates, with revenue growth to $25.2 billion in 2025. Valuation ratios are elevated, with a P/E of 59.96 and P/S of 16.1, reflecting premium pricing. Recent news highlights margin gains and institutional activity, including Bank of America reducing holdings by 6.1% in Q1 2026 (Defense World, 2026-08-01).
The outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $263.43, implying 15.7% upside, driven by pricing discipline and technology investments. Risks include high debt levels, with a debt-to-asset ratio of 53.62% in 2024, and softer volume trends. Earnings momentum from recent beats supports growth, but margin pressures and economic sensitivity could limit gains.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, operating more than 2,300 warehouse-format stores offering more than 30,000 products in store and 1 million products online in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its stores offer numerous building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and decor products and provide various services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rentals. The acquisition of distributor Interline Brands in 2015 allowed Home Depot to enter the maintenance, repair, and operations business, which has been expanded through the tie-up with HD Supply (2020). The addition of the Company Store brought textile exposure to Home Depot's lineup.
Read more on HD →Waste Management ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating approximately 260 active landfills and about 340 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.
Read more on WM →