Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What is your current recommendation on Progressive Waste Solutions? I would like to know your thoughts on this company and whether or not this stock should be held.

Article Excerpt

Progressive Waste Solutions, $21.15, symbol BIN on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 115.2 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; www.progressivewaste.com), changed its name from IESI-BFC in May 2011. IESI-BFC was called BFI Canada until June 1, 2009, when it merged with its wholly owned subsidiary, IESI-BFC Ltd. In Canada, the company mainly operates as Progressive Waste Solutions, BFI Canada and Waste Services Inc. (WSI). It uses the Progressive Waste Solutions, IESI and WSI banners in the U.S. Progressive is one of North America’s largest solid-waste-management companies. However, it does not manage, collect or dispose of hazardous or liquid waste. Instead, Progressive collects and disposes of waste from over four million commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers. It gets 58% of its revenue from the U.S. and 42% from Canada. In total, the company operates 117 waste-collection operations, 30 landfills, 63 transfer-collection stations and 48 material-recovery facilities. In the three months ended September 30, 2012, Progressive’s revenue fell slightly, to $487.2 million from $490.5 million a year earlier. (All…