Lamb Weston Holdings Inc vs Waste Management, Inc. — how do they compare? Lamb Weston Holdings Inc trades at $48.19 (market cap $6.81B), while Waste Management, Inc. trades at $207.38 (market cap $83.98B). The key difference: Waste Management, Inc. is far larger — about 12.3× Lamb Weston Holdings Inc's market cap, and Lamb Weston Holdings Inc pays the higher dividend (3.07%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LW | WM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.81B | $83.98B |
Volume | 4,638,686 | 2,182,180 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $66.57 | $246.51 |
52-Week Low | $38.48 | $196.77 |
Typical Hold Time | 66 Days | — |
Enterprise Value | $10.61B | $106.78B |
Dividend Yield | 3.07% | 1.8% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Lamb Weston (LW) trades at $48.36, up 0.56% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows strong profitability with a 14.17% ROE and trades at a P/E of 27.03. Recent news highlights cost savings exceeding $100 million and anticipation for Q1 2026 earnings. The consensus price target is $53.71, suggesting potential upside from current levels.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic given earnings momentum and analyst support, but risks include margin pressure from rising costs and ongoing legal scrutiny. Net income margin declined to 3.85% in 2025 from 11.21% in 2024, reflecting operational challenges. Investor sentiment is mixed amid institutional positioning shifts and pending earnings results.
Waste Management (WM) trades at $207.71, down 0.59% on the day, with a bullish technical signal despite bearish moving averages. The company reported revenue of $25.20 billion in 2025, with net income of $2.71 billion and a net margin of 10.74%. Recent earnings show mixed results, with a miss in Q4 2025 but beats in Q1 and Q2 2026. Analyst consensus is strongly positive with 54.29% buy ratings and no sell recommendations.
WM's outlook remains favorable due to steady revenue growth, strong cash flow, and a resilient business model. Key risks include elevated debt levels and competitive pressures. The stock offers a reliable dividend, with the next payment of $0.95 scheduled for September 25, 2026. Investors should weigh solid fundamentals against debt concerns for long-term holdings.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Lamb Weston is the world's second-largest producer of branded and private-label frozen potato products, such as French fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes, hash browns, and chips. The company also has a small appetizer business that produces onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and cheese curds. Including joint ventures, 63% of fiscal 2022 revenue was U.S.-based, with the remainder stemming from Europe, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, and several other countries. Lamb Weston's customer mix is estimated 58% quick-serve restaurants, 19% full-service restaurants, 8% other food services (hotels, commercial cafeterias, arenas, schools), and 16% retail. Lamb Weston became an independent company in 2016 when it was spun off from Conagra.
Read more on LW →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 →