The waste management company reported adjusted earnings per share of USD 1.58 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of USD 1.41 by USD 0.17.
Sales amounted to USD 4.05 billion, just below analysts' forecasts of USD 4.08 billion, but 5.6% higher than in the previous year.
"We delivered another strong set of results in 2024, enabled by the effective execution of our strategy to meet the needs of our customers and grow the business profitably," said Jon Vander Ark, President and CEO of Republic Services.
For the full year 2024, Republic Services generated adjusted free cash flow of USD 2.18 billion, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year.
The company distributed a total of USD 1.18 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks in 2024.
Republic Services issued a forecast for 2025 that is largely in line with Wall Street expectations. The company expects adjusted earnings per share of between USD 6.82 and USD 6.90 for the full year 2025, compared to the consensus estimate of USD 6.79. Revenue is expected to be between USD 16.85 billion and USD 16.95 billion.
The solid quarterly results and optimistic outlook underscore Republic Services' ability to deliver profitable growth despite economic challenges.
The company's focus on pricing initiatives and productivity improvements appears to be paying off, as evidenced by the 110 basis point expansion of the adjusted EBITDA margin to 31% in the fourth quarter.
