Waste-management company Republic Services has been down in the dumps this year, but its largest shareholder, Bill Gates, just bought more shares.
Republic Services stock (ticker: RSG) has slid 14% year to date, after soaring 45% in 2021. In comparison, the S&P 500 index has slipped 9% this year, after rising 27% last year. Republic Services shares have been weak since the company announced on Feb. 9 that it had agreed to buy US Ecology (ECOL), a hazardous-waste disposal company, for $2.2 billion. Then, a day later, Republic…