Waste Connections (WCN.TO)

On her watchlist. Its advantage is the smaller and exclusive markets, affording less competition and more pricing power. Last quarter strong -- revenue increased 6%, margins up almost 33%. Raised guidance. Consistent compounder, dependable cash. 

Good defensive position for your portfolio. Analysts see ~20% upside, with majority calling it a Buy. A bit more of a pullback would be a great entry point.

Loves the sector, a more defensive industrial space (we need garbage disposal whether the economy is up or down). 

Her preference in the space. Safer industries, better management. 

The chart was in an uptrend from 2024-early 2025, then was in a downtrend, with lower lows, to present. Five years ago, there was resistance around $180, which is now the current support. Don't catch a falling knife.

Steady business, but the stock's not looking the same. 200-day MA trending lower, series of lower lows and lower highs. Market's looking for more exciting plays. Fundamentally sound. Sees 10% earnings growth, but a bit pricey at 27x forward PE.

Technicals would make it hard for him to start a position.

Makes acquisitions, targeting smaller markets where they earn a pricing premium. Exposed to vertically integrated markets where they also own the landfill. Stock's down on chemical leak in California last year plus worries about fuel costs.

Very well run. Great emphasis on employee safety and culture, in an industry that's one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Yield is 0.93%.

Challenging sector right now, but his choice in the space. Would be impacted by higher interest rates, but doesn't believe that'll be an issue.

Likes both. Stable, reliable cashflows -- so they trade at a premium, but don't be concerned. All stocks that provide a "physical" type of service are doing well.

WCN is a bit higher growth, so it leads by a nose.

Premium name. Disciplined management and great track record. Still meaningful upside to analysts' targets. Trading ~30x PE, so you're paying for quality. Fairly valued to slightly expensive. Good FCF story. Guiding for double-digit growth in 2026. 

Raised dividend by 11% last fall, share buybacks. Don't chase. Interesting on a pullback. 8/10 on fundamentals.

She owns other names in the States.

Look at the longer-term trend on a 5-year chart. At the time of the pick, the chart looked positive technically. Then came a pullback. He sees this pullback as an opportunity to add this for the longer term. One of the best companies in Canada in terms of stability, and the 10-year chart really highlights this.

A boring company, but still a great business. This is where you want the bulk of your portfolio, with perhaps 5-10% in exciting names that you can talk about at cocktail parties.

Almost identical to WM, except WCN doesn't have the Phoenix Open. Wonderful, irreplaceable assets. Huge economic moat. Steady, predictable EPS and FCF. Market has pushed up valuations for anything predictable. Not ridiculously valued, just a bit rich.

Probably OK for a 10-year hold, even if valuation compresses.

Defensive. An industry with very reliable earnings and revenue. There are only so many players in the space and he likes that kind of setup. Not as exciting as a NFLX or META, but has a place in your portfolio.

Waste industry is an oligopolistic structure, with many smaller companies that larger ones are slowly gobbling up. That's a long-term runway. Plus, amount of solid waste continues to grow at a decent pace. Pricing outpaces inflation. Deserves its premium. Pressure on recycling volumes hurting margins a bit.

An attractive entry point for a buy, but know that it will always be an expensive stock and that's OK.

This industry has its cycles. Will be more business as they expand. No comment on its valuation. Are well-positioned in the waste business, where they are a leader.