World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Strong-Buy" Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded World Kinect to “strong buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “hold” with an average price target of $30. Morgan Stanley also set a $30 target, and ratings from other firms remain mixed.
• World Kinect reported a strong quarterly performance, with EPS of $1.29 versus the $0.75 consensus estimate and revenue of $13.59 billion, up 50.3% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $3.20–$3.40.
• The stock opened at $39.82, near its 52-week high of $41.20, but insiders sold 151,873 shares worth approximately $5.03 million over the past quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.06% of the company.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on WKC. Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 price objective on shares of World Kinect in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of World Kinect from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded World Kinect from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $30.00.

World Kinect Price Performance

NYSE WKC opened at $39.82 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. World Kinect has a 1 year low of $22.21 and a 1 year high of $41.20. The company has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of -12.41, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.19. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $33.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.24.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.54. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.50 billion. World Kinect had a negative net margin of 0.43% and a positive return on equity of 11.24%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 50.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.59 earnings per share. World Kinect has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.200-3.400 EPS. On average, analysts predict that World Kinect will post 3.6 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John L. Manley sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.88, for a total value of $398,800.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 54,116 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,158,146.08. This represents a 15.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 33,445 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.93, for a total transaction of $1,335,458.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 58,878 shares in the company, valued at $2,350,998.54. This trade represents a 36.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 151,873 shares of company stock worth $5,027,447. Insiders own 3.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WKC. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 373.8% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of World Kinect by 30.9% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 3,845,750 shares of the company's stock valued at $90,106,000 after purchasing an additional 907,490 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in World Kinect by 235.1% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 644,941 shares of the company's stock worth $14,879,000 after purchasing an additional 452,462 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in World Kinect during the fourth quarter worth $9,427,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in World Kinect by 119.5% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 702,367 shares of the company's stock worth $18,226,000 after buying an additional 382,340 shares during the last quarter. 97.06% of the stock is 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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