WM vs. XYL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at WM and XYL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Waste Management, Inc. | Xylem Inc. |
| Country | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry | Commercial Services & Supplies | Machinery |
| Market Capitalization | 88.57 billion USD | 36.00 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 22, 1988 | October 13, 2011 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of WM and XYL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.64% | 4.27% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -3.49% | 14.02% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -3.54% | 19.79% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 7.45% | 9.66% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -2.46% | 4.20% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 9.44% | 27.13% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.60M | 1.26M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 1.64M | 1.20M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 16.29% | 25.90% |
| Beta | 0.64 | 1.16 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
WM
31.93%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 31.93%
- Q3
- 16.86%
- Median
- 10.28%
- Q1
- 6.63%
- Min
- 0.71%
In the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, WM’s Return on Equity of 31.93% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
XYL
8.70%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 33.68%
- Q3
- 20.05%
- Median
- 12.37%
- Q1
- 8.67%
- Min
- -7.69%
XYL’s Return on Equity of 8.70% is on par with the norm for the Machinery industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
WM
11.36%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 16.98%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.35%
- Q1
- 3.42%
- Min
- -2.31%
A Net Profit Margin of 11.36% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
XYL
10.74%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 19.72%
- Q3
- 11.07%
- Median
- 7.62%
- Q1
- 5.05%
- Min
- -1.52%
XYL’s Net Profit Margin of 10.74% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Machinery industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
WM
17.52%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 23.33%
- Q3
- 12.51%
- Median
- 8.33%
- Q1
- 4.45%
- Min
- -2.90%
An Operating Profit Margin of 17.52% places WM in the upper quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
XYL
11.81%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 26.63%
- Q3
- 15.99%
- Median
- 11.27%
- Q1
- 7.72%
- Min
- -0.51%
XYL’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.81% is around the midpoint for the Machinery industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 31.93% | 8.70% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 6.42% | 5.66% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 11.36% | 10.74% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.52% | 11.81% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 39.72% | 37.81% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
WM
0.86
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.73
- Q3
- 2.13
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.59
WM’s Current Ratio of 0.86 falls into the lower quartile for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
XYL
1.90
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 3.13
- Q3
- 2.12
- Median
- 1.72
- Q1
- 1.34
- Min
- 0.77
XYL’s Current Ratio of 1.90 aligns with the median group of the Machinery industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
WM
2.61
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 2.24
- Q3
- 1.14
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.36
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.61, WM operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
XYL
0.18
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 1.56
- Q3
- 0.79
- Median
- 0.44
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Machinery industry, XYL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.18 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
WM
6.82
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 24.70
- Q3
- 13.44
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.42
- Min
- -10.97
WM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.82 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
XYL
55.35
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 81.58
- Q3
- 37.68
- Median
- 13.76
- Q1
- 7.97
- Min
- -1.43
XYL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 55.35 is in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.90 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.31 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 2.61 | 0.18 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 6.82 | 55.35 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
WM
1.44%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 3.65%
- Q3
- 2.43%
- Median
- 1.58%
- Q1
- 0.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Yield of 1.44% is consistent with its peers in the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
XYL
1.03%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.55%
- Q3
- 2.66%
- Median
- 1.90%
- Q1
- 1.23%
- Min
- 0.00%
XYL’s Dividend Yield of 1.03% is in the lower quartile for the Machinery industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
WM
46.71%
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 137.88%
- Q3
- 73.07%
- Median
- 44.79%
- Q1
- 27.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
WM’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.71% is within the typical range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
XYL
39.55%
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 198.34%
- Q3
- 101.42%
- Median
- 62.79%
- Q1
- 29.85%
- Min
- 0.00%
XYL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 39.55% is within the typical range for the Machinery industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.44% | 1.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.71% | 39.55% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
WM
32.47
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 57.87
- Q3
- 33.40
- Median
- 23.56
- Q1
- 15.28
- Min
- 6.56
WM’s P/E Ratio of 32.47 is within the middle range for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
XYL
38.28
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 47.95
- Q3
- 30.11
- Median
- 22.35
- Q1
- 16.56
- Min
- 6.48
A P/E Ratio of 38.28 places XYL in the upper quartile for the Machinery industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
WM
3.69
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 4.84
- Q3
- 2.58
- Median
- 1.09
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
WM’s P/S Ratio of 3.69 is in the upper echelon for the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
XYL
4.11
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 4.97
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.04
XYL’s P/S Ratio of 4.11 is in the upper echelon for the Machinery industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
WM
10.01
Commercial Services & Supplies Industry
- Max
- 6.40
- Q3
- 3.97
- Median
- 2.44
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.40
At 10.01, WM’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Commercial Services & Supplies industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
XYL
2.84
Machinery Industry
- Max
- 7.29
- Q3
- 4.06
- Median
- 2.67
- Q1
- 1.54
- Min
- 0.52
XYL’s P/B Ratio of 2.84 is within the conventional range for the Machinery industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | WM | XYL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 32.47 | 38.28 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 3.69 | 4.11 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 10.01 | 2.84 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 40.85 | 41.22 |