Republic Services price target raised to $260 from $250 at Raymond James

Raymond James raised the firm’s price target on Republic Services (RSG) to $260 from $250 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. Raymond James believes that this quarter will likely prove another “meet and hold” setup broadly across the waste and industrial services group as trends remain steady, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Pricing growth is likely to continue decelerating lower across the group next year, and the group continues to push on efficiency gains through its embrace of technology and utilizing traditional strategies like employee retention programs to combat against lingering cost inflation that should continue to be supportive of margins, the firm argues.