Waste Management (WM) isn’t just taking out the trash — it’s turning trash into renewable energy as well as steady earnings and dividends for investors. On April 24 before the open, the Houston-based garbage hauler reported a first-quarter profit of 49 cents a share, up 23% from the prior year and above views. That marked its best quarterly growth in years. Revenue grew 2% to $3.4 billion, in line with forecasts.