United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) vs Waste Management, Inc. (WM)

UPS leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of United Parcel Service, Inc. and Waste Management, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Compare

Total return — UPS vs WM

growth of $100 · last 27y
UPS +58.7%WM +1157.1%WM compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $10020042009201420192024$159$1,257
UPS WM

UPS vs WM: by the numbers

  • UPS is the larger company ($91.86B vs $90.57B market cap).
  • UPS trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.50 vs 32.64 P/E).
  • WM converts more revenue to profit (10.99% vs 5.94% net margin).
  • WM grew revenue faster over the past five years (10.25% vs -0.23% CAGR).
  • UPS pays the higher dividend yield (6.07% vs 1.68%).

Which is better, UPS or WM?

Metric tally: UPS 11 · WM 6

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueUPS(lower P/E)
GrowthWM(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeUPS(higher dividend yield)
QualityUPS(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricUPSWM
P/E ratio17.5032.64
Forward P/E13.6524.48
P/S ratio1.043.59
P/B ratio5.839.10
PEG ratio0.522.39
EV / EBITDA10.1714.85
FCF yield4.91%3.61%

Profitability

MetricUPSWM
Gross margin17.79%32.06%
Operating margin8.46%18.46%
Net margin5.94%10.99%
ROE33.30%27.88%
ROIC10.40%8.88%

Dividends

MetricUPSWM
Dividend yield6.07%1.68%
Payout ratio100.00%56.25%

Growth (annualized)

MetricUPSWM
Revenue CAGR (5Y)-0.23%10.25%
EPS CAGR (5Y)33.45%13.68%
FCF CAGR (5Y)-8.72%7.28%
Total return CAGR (5Y)-8.00%11.87%

Frequently asked

Which is better, UPS or WM?
It depends on your goal. value: UPS (lower P/E); growth: WM (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: UPS (higher dividend yield); quality: UPS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, UPS leads 11 to 6.
Is UPS or WM cheaper?
On trailing earnings, UPS is cheaper: UPS trades at a 17.50 P/E and WM at 32.64.
Which has grown faster, UPS or WM?
Over the past five years, WM grew revenue faster — UPS at a -0.23% CAGR versus WM at 10.25%.
Does UPS or WM pay a bigger dividend?
UPS yields 6.07% and WM yields 1.68% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is UPS or WM more profitable?
WM runs the higher net margin — UPS at 5.94% versus WM at 10.99%.
Which has been the better investment, UPS or WM?
Over the past 10-year, WM delivered the higher annualized total return — UPS at 4.24% versus WM at 15.53%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 28, 2026.