WEX Inc. $WEX Stock Holdings Lifted by First Trust Advisors LP

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP increased its WEX position by 31.5% in the first quarter to 52,395 shares valued at approximately $8.0 million. Institutional investors collectively own 97.47% of the company.
• WEX exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $5.35 in adjusted earnings per share on $753.5 million in revenue, with revenue up 14.2% year over year. The company issued third-quarter and full-year 2026 earnings guidance.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $183.30, while WEX has authorized a $1 billion share-repurchase program. Insiders sold 8,783 shares worth about $1.46 million over the past 90 days.

First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX - Free Report) by 31.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,395 shares of the business services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 12,542 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.15% of WEX worth $8,018,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in WEX. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEX in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. First Horizon Corp increased its holdings in WEX by 65.7% in the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 237 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in 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 acquiring an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in WEX by 255.0% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 355 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in WEX by 225.4% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 371 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. 97.47% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other WEX news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were 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 directly owned 20,288 shares in the company, valued at $3,010,739.20. This represents a 8.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Jennifer Kimball sold 1,183 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.55, for a total value of $208,858.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $867,919.80. This represents a 19.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 8,783 shares of company stock worth $1,462,885 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on WEX. Evercore upgraded shares of WEX to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Mizuho lifted 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, July 24th. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $178.00 price objective on shares of WEX in a report on Monday, July 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of WEX from $180.00 to $160.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on WEX from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, WEX has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $183.30.

WEX Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:WEX opened at $187.04 on Friday. WEX Inc. has a 12 month low of $125.29 and a 12 month high of $191.38. The firm has a market cap of $6.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62. The company's 50 day moving average is $150.32 and its 200-day moving average is $153.76.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $5.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.08 by $0.27. WEX had a net margin of 12.56% and a return on equity of 43.19%. The business had revenue of $753.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $740.72 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.95 earnings per share. WEX'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. Equities analysts anticipate that WEX Inc. will post 17.12 EPS for the current year.

WEX declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, May 14th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to repurchase up to 21.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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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