Republic Services raises full-year guidance after strong second quarter of 2026

Republic Services reported net income of $566 million for the second quarter of 2026, up from $550 million a year earlier. Earnings per diluted share rose to $1.84, a 5.1 percent increase over the same period in 2025.

On an adjusted basis, net income was $569 million, or $1.85 per share, compared with $556 million, or $1.77 per share, in the prior-year quarter.

So far this year, Republic has spent $860 million on acquisitions and returned $1.04 billion to shareholders — $651 million through share buybacks and $385 million in dividends. During the quarter, the company also brought two renewable natural gas projects online.

Total revenue grew 4.6 percent, driven mainly by higher prices rather than higher volumes. Core pricing added 5.3 percent to revenue, while overall volume declined 1.6 percent. Acquisitions contributed another 1.1 percent to growth.

Adjusted EBITDA came in at $1.42 billion, with a margin of 32.1 percent — roughly flat with last year. The company said it absorbed a 50-basis-point hit from unusually high landfill volumes recorded in the same quarter last year.

The average price of recycled commodities sold at the company's recycling centres fell to $136 per ton, down $13 from a year earlier.

Based on the quarter's results, Republic raised its full-year guidance:

• Revenue: $17.2 billion to $17.3 billion
• Adjusted EBITDA: $5.525 billion to $5.55 billion
• Adjusted diluted EPS: $7.23 to $7.28
• Adjusted free cash flow: $2.54 billion to $2.575 billion

The company's board also approved a dividend increase of 4.5 cents per share. The new quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share will be paid on October 15, 2026, to shareholders.