Waste Management, Inc. vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Waste Management, Inc. trades at $226.5 (market cap $90.68B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $168.74. The key difference: Waste Management, Inc. pays a 1.56% dividend while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund is trading nearer its 52-week high, Waste Management, Inc. nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| WM | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $90.68B | — |
Sector | Industrials | — |
52-Week High | $246.51 | $168.44 |
52-Week Low | $196.77 | $131.16 |
Enterprise Value | $113.47B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.56% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
WM trades at $226.19, down 0.18% today, with a neutral technical signal and strong fundamentals. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat estimates at $2.02 per share, driven by pricing discipline and margin gains. Revenue growth is steady, with 2025 revenue at $25.20 billion, though net income margin dipped to 10.74%. The stock shows a bullish analyst consensus with a $263.43 price target, supported by 20 buy ratings and no sell recommendations. Institutional activity includes mixed trades, such as Bank of America reducing holdings by 6.1% in Q1 2026 (SEC filing, 2026-08-01).
Outlook remains positive due to consistent earnings beats and operational efficiency, but risks include high valuation ratios like a P/E of 59.74 and rising debt levels, with total liabilities at $36.31 billion in 2024. Investors should weigh growth potential against margin pressures and macroeconomic headwinds affecting waste volumes.
XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $168.44 with a neutral daily change. Technical indicators show a bullish trend from moving averages but oscillators are neutral, with the 6-day RSI at 86.78 suggesting overbought conditions. The fund's low 0.08% expense ratio and defensive healthcare sector exposure attract steady inflows amid market volatility, as highlighted by recent ETF flow reports.
The outlook for XLV is cautiously optimistic, supported by defensive demand and strong sector earnings. Key opportunities include diversification benefits and cost efficiency, while risks involve sector-specific regulatory pressures and broader economic sensitivity. Investors should weigh the ETF's stability against potential growth limitations in a concentrated portfolio.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →