Wall Street Zen Upgrades World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded World Kinect to “strong-buy” from “buy,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with one strong-buy and two sell ratings and an average price target of $30.
• World Kinect reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.29 versus the $0.75 estimate and revenue of $13.59 billion, up 50.3% year over year.
• Shares opened at $35.67, while insiders have sold 104,445 shares worth approximately $3.92 million over the past 90 days; institutional investors own 97.06% of the stock.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

WKC has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 price target on World Kinect in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of World Kinect from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded World Kinect from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $30.00.

World Kinect Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:WKC opened at $35.67 on Friday. World Kinect has a 12 month low of $22.21 and a 12 month high of $41.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $36.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.96. The firm has a market cap of $1.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.11, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.16.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.54. The business had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.50 billion. World Kinect had a negative net margin of 0.43% and a positive return on equity of 11.24%. The firm's revenue was up 50.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. World Kinect has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.200-3.400 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that World Kinect will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman Michael Kasbar sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.40, for a total value of $354,000.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 966,450 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,212,330. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jose-Miguel Tejada sold 6,000 shares of World Kinect stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.16, for a total transaction of $222,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,676 shares in the company, valued at $1,325,720.16. This trade represents a 14.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 104,445 shares of company stock valued at $3,915,119. 3.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Kinect

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in World Kinect in the first quarter valued at $37,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in World Kinect by 858.9% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,774 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 1,589 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in World Kinect in the second quarter worth $73,000. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in shares of World Kinect during the 2nd quarter valued at about $84,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 108.8% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,633 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 1,372 shares during the period. 97.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About World Kinect

World Kinect Corporation NYSE: WKC is an energy management company that provides fuel, energy and related services to customers in the aviation, marine and land transportation industries. Its offerings include the sourcing, marketing, distribution and delivery of conventional and alternative fuels, as well as energy procurement and risk-management solutions.

The company serves commercial airlines, business and general aviation operators, shipping companies, trucking and transportation businesses, government entities, utilities and other commercial customers.

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