RaoscaffResearch
Prediction Series · Lock · Issue P-171
Prediction Series · P-171

The waste-hauler's floor — ≥$1.95bn, locked at 93%.

93% probability WM's Q3 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA lands at or above $1.95 billion — roughly 6% below the $2.067bn of Q2, against full-year guidance maintained at $8.15–$8.25bn. Resolves ~27 Oct 2026.

Type · Prediction Lock · earnings-floor threshold Locked · 2026-08-13 · before the Q3 results Resolves · ~2026-10-27 · WM Q3 2026 results (investors.wm.com) Scored · binary: Q3 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA ≥$1.95bn yes/no
WM Q3 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA · our locked floor
≥ $1.95bn
adjusted operating EBITDA · vs $2.067bn in Q2 2026

WM reported Q2 2026 revenue of $6.684bn and adjusted operating EBITDA of $2.067bn, up 5.5%, with margin expanding 40 basis points to 30.9%, and maintained full-year adjusted operating EBITDA guidance of $8.15–$8.25bn at a 31.0–31.2% margin. Collection and disposal volumes are guided roughly flat in the second half. Source: WM Q2 2026 results, July 2026.

— 1 · The Locked Call

WM Q3 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA lands ≥$1.95 billion — P = 0.93.

We lock a binary: Waste Management reports third-quarter 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA of at least $1.95 billion, per the company's results release. Confidence 93%.

— 2 · Why it's nail-able

Waste collection is close to a utility, priced on multi-year contracts with escalators.

Household and commercial waste volumes barely move with the cycle, and WM's revenue is priced through long-dated contracts carrying built-in escalators, which is why margin expanded 40 basis points in Q2 even as volumes softened. Full-year guidance of $8.15–$8.25bn implies a quarterly pace above $2bn, and our floor sits about 6% below the Q2 print. Confidence 93%, not higher, because recycled-commodity prices are genuinely volatile and flow straight through to this line, and the Healthcare Solutions integration is still in progress. Scored on ADJUSTED OPERATING EBITDA, the company's own guided measure.

Locked on 2026-08-13 — scored against WM's reported Q3 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA.

RAOSCAFF locks P-171 on 2026-08-13, before the Q3 release. Scored against Waste Management's reported third-quarter 2026 adjusted operating EBITDA versus a $1.95 billion floor.

Locked
2026-08-13 (commit timestamp on origin/main)
Resolves
~2026-10-27 — WM Q3 2026 results
Source
Waste Management Q3 2026 earnings release, adjusted operating EBITDA (investors.wm.com; SEC 8-K)
Scored by
Binary: YES if reported Q3 2026 ADJUSTED OPERATING EBITDA is ≥$1.95bn; NO otherwise. The adjusted operating EBITDA the company guides — not GAAP operating income and not total EBITDA.

Recycled-commodity price swings flow straight to this line — the disclosed tail.