World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) Hits New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• World Kinect shares hit a new 52-week high of $34.00, closing around $33.81, well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The stock rose despite the article noting a consensus analyst rating of Hold and a target price of $29.50.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.75 versus the $0.31 estimate and revenue of $9.69 billion versus $9.29 billion expected. Management also raised FY2026 guidance to 2.65-2.85 EPS.
• World Kinect increased its quarterly dividend to $0.23 per share from $0.20, implying an annualized yield of about 2.7%. The article also notes significant insider selling, while institutional investors own the vast majority of the stock.

World Kinect Corporation (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $34.00 and last traded at $33.8050, with a volume of 500 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $33.78.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research cut World Kinect from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of World Kinect from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of World Kinect from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of World Kinect from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, World Kinect has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $29.50.

World Kinect Stock Up 0.3%

The stock has a market cap of $1.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.19. The business has a fifty day moving average of $30.08 and a 200 day moving average of $26.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.44. World Kinect had a negative net margin of 1.53% and a positive return on equity of 8.27%. The company had revenue of $9.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.48 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. World Kinect has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.650-2.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that World Kinect Corporation will post 2.79 earnings per share for the current year.

World Kinect Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a $0.23 dividend. This is an increase from World Kinect's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. World Kinect's payout ratio is presently -9.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 20,828 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.69, for a total value of $576,727.32. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,126,124.61. The trade was a 33.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Michael John Kroll sold 2,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.30, for a total value of $57,330.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 10,390 shares of the company's stock, valued at $283,647. The trade was a 16.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 107,928 shares of company stock worth $3,107,065. Insiders own 3.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of World Kinect

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in World Kinect by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,713,507 shares of the company's stock valued at $157,297,000 after buying an additional 62,111 shares during the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its holdings in World Kinect by 30.9% during the fourth quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 3,845,750 shares of the company's stock valued at $90,106,000 after acquiring an additional 907,490 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in World Kinect by 9.5% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,450,762 shares of the company's stock valued at $63,597,000 after acquiring an additional 213,145 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management grew its position in shares of World Kinect by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,938,804 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,426,000 after purchasing an additional 198,076 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of World Kinect by 373.8% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,602,996 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,598,000 after purchasing an additional 1,264,684 shares during the last quarter. 97.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

World Kinect Company Profile

World Kinect Energy Services, Inc NYSE: WKC is a global energy services company specializing in fuel procurement, supply chain management and risk mitigation solutions. The company offers an integrated platform that facilitates the sourcing, trading and logistics of refined fuels, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy products. Its services are designed to help industrial, commercial and institutional clients optimize energy costs, comply with environmental regulations and manage price volatility.

In addition to traditional commodity trading and delivery, World Kinect provides a suite of value-added services that include carbon offset and decarbonization strategies, energy efficiency consulting and emissions reporting.

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