Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for WEX (NYSE:WEX) Stock

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target on WEX from $146 to $158 but kept an "equal weight" rating, with that target implying about a 10.8% downside from the prior close.
• WEX beat earnings, reporting $4.11 EPS versus $3.90 expected and $672.9M revenue, and issued FY2026 guidance of $17.25–17.85 EPS (Q1 guidance 3.80–4.00).
• Analysts' consensus remains a Hold with a $163.36 average price target, and insiders have sold roughly 15,479 shares (about $2.45M) in the past three months.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $146.00 to $158.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the business services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price would indicate a potential downside of 10.80% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on WEX. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of WEX from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of WEX from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of WEX from $175.00 to $155.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $163.36.

WEX Stock Up 2.1%

WEX stock opened at $177.13 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86. WEX has a twelve month low of $118.67 and a twelve month high of $180.71. The company's 50-day moving average price is $158.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $154.26.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The business services provider reported $4.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.90 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $672.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $660.89 million. WEX had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 48.01%. The business's revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.57 EPS. WEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.250-17.850 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 3.80-4.000 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that WEX will post 15.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at WEX

In related news, CAO Jennifer Kimball sold 715 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $112,841.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 6,203 shares of the company's stock, valued at $978,957.46. This represents a 10.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 3,238 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.22, for a total transaction of $486,412.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 14,859 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,232,118.98. The trade was a 17.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 15,479 shares of company stock worth $2,454,914 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WEX

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of WEX. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of WEX during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of WEX during the third quarter valued at $28,000. First Horizon Corp raised its stake in shares of WEX by 65.7% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 237 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of WEX by 162.1% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 228 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.47% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.