WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating on WEX, with eight holds and six buys among 14 firms. The average 12-month price target is $183.30.
• WEX exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $5.35 in EPS and $753.5 million in revenue, up 14.2% year over year. The company also authorized a $1 billion share-buyback program, covering up to 21.2% of outstanding shares.
• Company insiders sold 36,767 shares worth approximately $6.8 million over the past quarter, while institutional investors retain a dominant 97.47% ownership stake.

WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $183.30.

A number of research firms have recently commented on WEX. Wall Street Zen lowered WEX from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, May 24th. Evercore upgraded WEX to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on WEX from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Mizuho lifted their price target on WEX from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded WEX from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th.

Insider Activity

In other WEX news, COO Robert Deshaies sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.40, for a total value of $296,800.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 20,288 shares in the company, valued at $3,010,739.20. This trade represents a 8.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Melissa D. Smith sold 28,109 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.09, for a total transaction of $5,343,239.81. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 126,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,070,146.25. The trade was a 18.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 36,767 shares of company stock worth $6,832,266. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WEX

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEX in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WEX during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of WEX by 368.1% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 220 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of WEX in the second quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of WEX by 255.0% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 355 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. 97.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

WEX Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WEX opened at $193.75 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.83. The business has a 50-day moving average of $177.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $160.06. WEX has a fifty-two week low of $125.29 and a fifty-two week high of $203.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $5.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.27. WEX had a return on equity of 43.19% and a net margin of 12.56%.The business had revenue of $753.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $740.72 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.95 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. WEX has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 19.680-20.080 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that WEX will post 17.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WEX declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, May 14th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to buy up to 21.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

About WEX

WEX Inc is a global financial technology company specializing in business payment solutions for fleet, travel, and corporate payments. The company delivers software-driven platforms and card-based services that help businesses automate payment processes, manage expenses and improve operational efficiency across a range of industries, including transportation, healthcare and government.

Founded in 1983 as Wright Express in Portland, Maine, the company began by offering fuel card services to trucking fleets.

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