Fourth-quarter earnings should have been the icing on the cake for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM). But the candles were decidedly dimmer as the company missed analysts’ earnings expectations for the first time all year. That was in stark contrast to rival Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG), which reported on the same day and met expectations.
That said, there was a lot for investors to cheer in Waste Management’s quarterly and full-year 2016 earnings report. Here are three of the most important things you should know.