Rice Hall James & Associates LLC Increases Position in WEX Inc. $WEX

Key Points

• Rice Hall James & Associates increased its WEX stake by 3.5% in Q1, bringing its holdings to 180,314 shares worth about $27.6 million.
• WEX reported better-than-expected Q2 results, with revenue rising 14.2% year over year to $753.5 million and adjusted EPS of $5.35, topping analyst estimates.
• The company also raised full-year guidance and authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program, while analysts remain mixed overall with an average rating of Hold.

Rice Hall James & Associates LLC lifted its stake in WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX - Free Report) by 3.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 180,314 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 6,176 shares during the period. WEX makes up 1.5% of Rice Hall James & Associates LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC owned 0.52% of WEX worth $27,595,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WEX. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of WEX by 377.9% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 17,395 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,592,000 after acquiring an additional 13,755 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in shares of WEX in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,129,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of WEX by 47.5% in the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 29,207 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $4,351,000 after acquiring an additional 9,410 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in WEX by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 638,957 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $95,209,000 after purchasing an additional 6,971 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in WEX by 2,115.6% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 14,667 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,185,000 after purchasing an additional 14,005 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.47% of the company's stock.

Key WEX News

Here are the key news stories impacting WEX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: WEX beat Q2 2026 expectations on both revenue and earnings, with revenue up 14.2% year over year to $753.5 million and adjusted EPS rising to $5.35, helping support bullish investor sentiment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised full-year guidance, now targeting $2.86 billion to $2.90 billion in revenue and $19.68 to $20.08 in adjusted EPS, which signals management confidence in continued growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted its price target on WEX to $210 from $200 and reiterated an outperform rating, implying additional upside from current levels. Article Title

WEX Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of WEX stock opened at $176.56 on Friday. WEX Inc. has a 1 year low of $125.29 and a 1 year high of $186.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $146.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $152.75. The company has a market capitalization of $6.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.85.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $753.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $740.72 million. WEX had a return on equity of 43.19% and a net margin of 12.56%.WEX's quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.95 EPS. WEX has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 19.680-20.080 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that WEX Inc. will post 16.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WEX declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, May 14th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to reacquire up to 21.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on WEX from $180.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on WEX from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of WEX from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 24th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of WEX from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $179.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at WEX

In related news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 2,000 shares of WEX stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.40, for a total transaction of $296,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 20,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director James R. Groch bought 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $142.95 per share, with a total value of $214,425.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 17,957 shares in the company, valued at $2,566,953.15. The trade was a 9.11% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

WEX Company Profile

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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