WM Announces First Quarter 2025 Earnings

Strong Operational Performance Combined with WM Healthcare Solutions Results Deliver Outsized Growth

WM Adds Two Recycling Automation Projects in Key Markets During the Quarter

WM (NYSE:WM) today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025.

"Our first quarter results reflect the strong track record of the WM team as we started the year delivering on each of our strategic priorities," said Jim Fish, WM's President and CEO. "We continue to deliver disciplined revenue growth and cost optimization in our core business, while advancing our sustainability growth investments and driving value from the Stericycle acquisition. This led to first quarter revenue growth of 16.7% and adjusted operating EBITDA growth of 12.2% compared to the prior year period.^(a) These solid first quarter results, as well as the strength and resiliency of our business model, give us confidence we are on pace to achieve our 2025 outlook."

Fish continued, "Our new medical waste and secure information destruction businesses, together referred to as WM Healthcare Solutions, performed well in the first full quarter as part of WM. Integration efforts are advancing and keeping us on track to achieve our full year synergy targets."

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2025

• Adjusted operating EBITDA for the WM Legacy Business grew 6.0% and margin achieved 30% for the fourth consecutive quarter.^(a) The Company's Collection and Disposal business led the way, driven by organic revenue growth from price, disciplined cost initiatives, and a continued focus on optimizing business mix. The Company's Recycling Processing and Sales and WM Renewable Energy businesses together contributed $18 million to operating EBITDA growth, primarily due to sustainability growth projects.
• WM Healthcare Solutions contributed $95 million of adjusted operating EBITDA, in line with expectations.^(a) The Company is on track to achieve its targeted synergies of $80 to $100 million in 2025.

• Revenue growth of 4.7% in the WM Legacy Business was driven by core price of 6.5% and Collection and Disposal yield of 4.0% as the Company continues its focus on maximizing customer lifetime value.^(e)
• Workday adjusted volumes in the Collection and Disposal business were flat in the quarter with growth in landfill volumes offset by the Company's strategic exit from low-margin residential collection business.
• Volume was negatively impacted by 30 basis points from winter weather events in the Company's Eastern Tier.

• Adjusted operating expenses as a percentage of revenue for the WM Legacy Business improved 50 basis points, reflecting the Company's disciplined cost focus driven by a people-first culture, technology adoption, and strategic exit from low-margin residential business.^(a)

• SG&A results in the WM Legacy Business demonstrate the Company's continued focus on cost discipline and optimization.
• Adjusted SG&A as a percentage of revenue for WM Healthcare Solutions improved 70 basis points sequentially, reflecting the contribution of synergies from the Company's efforts to integrate and streamline its sales and back-office processes.^(a)

Cash Flow and Investments

• The Company generated $1.21 billion of net cash provided by operating activities, with strong operating EBITDA growth more than offset by working capital timing differences and higher cash interest related primarily to the funding of the Stericycle acquisition. Free cash flow was $475 million, which was in line with the Company's expectations.^(a)
• During the quarter, the Company continued to progress its investments in sustainability growth projects, investing $128 million in these growth platforms and completing two recycling automation projects in key markets.^(f)

Fish concluded, "2025 is off to a strong start, and our team remains focused on driving further improvements in operational efficiency and maximizing growth opportunities from acquisitions and sustainability investments. Our first quarter performance sets us up for another year of robust financial growth."

The Company will host a conference call at 10 a.m. ET on April 29, 2025, to discuss the first quarter 2025 results. Information contained within this press release will be referenced and should be considered in conjunction with the call.

Listeners can access a live audio webcast of the conference call by visiting investors.wm.com and selecting "Events & Presentations" from the website menu. A replay of the audio webcast will be available at the same location following the conclusion of the call.

Conference call participants should register to obtain their dial in and passcode details. This streamlined process improves security and eliminates wait times when joining the call.

ABOUT WM

WM (WM.com) is North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, medical and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them pursue their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials and is a leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas-to-electricity plants in North America. WM also has the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet in the industry in North America. WM Healthcare Solutions provides collection and disposal services of regulated medical waste, as well as secure information destruction services, in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. To learn more about WM and the company's sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Company, from time to time, provides estimates or projections of financial and other data, comments on expectations relating to future periods and makes statements of opinion, view or belief about current and future events, circumstances or performance. This press release contains a number of such forward-looking statements, including all statements regarding future performance and results of our business; achievement of targets, financial guidance or outlook; growth and optimization of our business; integration of the Stericycle business and related contributions, results and benefits, including amount and timing of synergies; amount and timing of sustainability investments, upgrades and project completions and related returns, contributions, and benefits; future capital allocation and acquisition spending; drivers of performance, including pricing programs and volume; and assumptions regarding commodity prices, natural gas production, tax credits and renewable fuel programs. You should view these statements with caution. They are based on the facts and circumstances known to the Company as of the date the statements are made. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from those set forth in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, failure to implement our optimization, automation, growth, and cost savings initiatives and overall business strategy; failure to obtain the results anticipated from strategic initiatives, investments, acquisitions, or new lines of business; failure to identify acquisition targets, consummate and integrate acquisitions, including our ability to integrate the acquisition of Stericycle and achieve the anticipated benefits therefrom, including synergies; legal, regulatory and other matters that may affect the costs and timing of our ability to integrate and deliver all of the expected benefits of the Stericycle acquisition; failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting; existing or new environmental and other regulations, including developments related to emerging contaminants, gas emissions, renewable energy, extended producer responsibility and our natural gas fleet; significant environmental, safety or other incidents resulting in liabilities or brand damage; failure to obtain and maintain necessary permits due to land scarcity, public opposition or otherwise; diminishing landfill capacity, resulting in increased costs and the need for disposal alternatives; exposure to different regulatory, legal, financial and economic conditions in international jurisdictions; failure to attract, hire and retain key team members and a high quality workforce; increases in labor costs due to union organizing activities or changes in wage- and labor-related regulations; disruption and costs resulting from severe weather and destructive climate events; failure to achieve our sustainability goals or execute on our sustainability-related strategy and initiatives, including within planned timelines or anticipated budgets due to disruptions, delays, cost increases or changes in environmental or tax regulations and incentives; focus on, and regulation of, environmental and sustainability-related disclosures, which could lead to increased costs, risk of non-compliance, brand damage and litigation risk related to our sustainability efforts; macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical conflict and large-scale market disruption resulting in labor, supply chain and transportation constraints, inflationary cost pressures and fluctuations in commodity prices, fuel and other energy costs; increased competition; pricing actions; impacts from international trade restrictions and tariffs; competitive disposal alternatives, diversion of waste from landfills and declining waste volumes; changing conditions in the healthcare industry; weakness in general economic conditions and capital markets; instability of financial institutions; adoption of new tax legislation; fuel shortages; failure to develop and protect new technology; failure of technology to perform as expected; failure to prevent, detect and address cybersecurity incidents or comply with privacy regulations; inability to adapt and manage the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence; negative outcomes of litigation or governmental proceedings, including those acquired through transactions; and operational or management decisions or developments that result in impairment charges. Please also see the Company's filings with the SEC, including Part I, Item 1A of the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties applicable to its business. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, including financial estimates and forecasts, whether as a result of future events, circumstances or developments or otherwise.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

To supplement its financial information, the Company has presented, and/or may discuss on the conference call, adjusted measures including adjusted earnings per diluted share, adjusted net income, adjusted income from operations and margin, adjusted operating EBITDA and margin, adjusted operating expense and margin, and adjusted SG&A expenses and margin. All adjusted measures and free cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures, as defined in Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company reports its financial results in compliance with GAAP but believes that also discussing non-GAAP measures provides investors with (i) financial measures the Company uses in the management of its business and (ii) additional, meaningful comparisons of current results to prior periods' results by excluding items that the Company does not believe reflect its fundamental business performance and are not representative or indicative of its results of operations.

The Company discusses free cash flow and provides a projection of free cash flow because the Company believes that it is indicative of its ability to pay its quarterly dividends, repurchase common stock, fund acquisitions and other investments and, in the absence of refinancings, to repay its debt obligations. The Company believes free cash flow gives investors useful insight into how the Company views its liquidity, but the use of free cash flow as a liquidity measure has material limitations because it excludes certain expenditures that are required or that the Company has committed to, such as declared dividend payments and debt service requirements. The Company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities, less capital expenditures, plus proceeds from divestitures of businesses and other assets (net of cash divested); this definition may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures reported by other companies.

The quantitative reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures are included in the accompanying schedules. Non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP.