Waystar Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:WAY) Short Interest Down 15.1% in January

Waystar Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:WAY) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 6,378,242 shares, a drop of 15.1% from the January 15th total of 7,514,927 shares. Approximately 3.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,941,449 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,941,449 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days. Approximately 3.5% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Waystar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waystar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and margin strength: Q4 revenue of ~$303.5M beat the Street (~$294.7M) and was +24% YoY; FY2025 revenue was $1,099M (+17% YoY) with healthy adjusted EBITDA margins — supports growth story and valuation re?rating potential. Waystar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results, Provides 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance intact with modest upside: FY2026 EPS guide of $1.59–$1.68 lines up with or slightly exceeds consensus at the top end, which tempers the EPS miss and gives investors a clear forward target. Waystar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results, Provides 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: AI recognition reinforces product differentiation: Named an Inc. Best in Business for AI, supporting Waystar’s AI?driven growth narrative and potential client ROI benefits. Waystar Recognized as Inc. Best in Business for AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed: Needham lowered its price target from $46 to $33 but reiterated a Buy — that keeps institutional support but signals more conservative near?term valuation assumptions. Waystar: AI?Driven Growth and Solid Execution Underpin Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Full materials available: Earnings call transcript and slide deck were released for investors to review details and KPIs. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results — Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy trading shows active repositioning: Intraday volume was materially above average, indicating strong buying/selling interest as investors react to the print and guidance.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss: Reported EPS of $0.36 missed consensus ~$0.39, which could pressure short?term sentiment despite the revenue beat. Waystar Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual put activity: A large block of ~5,167 put contracts (?+355% vs. avg) suggests some investors are hedging or betting on downside, adding short?term selling pressure.

Waystar Trading Up 8.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:WAY traded up $1.90 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $24.31. 12,465,587 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,720,489. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $29.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.28. Waystar has a 12 month low of $21.13 and a 12 month high of $48.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 3.89 and a current ratio of 3.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.77.

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.03). Waystar had a net margin of 10.69% and a return on equity of 6.83%. The business had revenue of $303.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $294.72 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.29 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waystar has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.590-1.680 EPS. Analysts predict that Waystar will post 0.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Waystar in a report on Monday, December 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $41.00 target price on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $54.00 price objective on shares of Waystar in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Waystar from $49.00 to $46.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Waystar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Leerink Partners started coverage on Waystar in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.57.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CMO Melissa F. (Missy) Miller sold 3,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.00, for a total value of $125,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 193,261 shares in the company, valued at $7,150,657. The trade was a 1.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Christopher L. Schremser sold 8,623 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.41, for a total value of $262,225.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 422,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,844,302.11. This represents a 2.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 71,650 shares of company stock valued at $2,258,535. Company insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Waystar by 11.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 21,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $808,000 after buying an additional 2,195 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waystar during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $203,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Waystar by 91.1% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 46,911 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,753,000 after purchasing an additional 22,364 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in Waystar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $234,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Waystar by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 747,268 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,918,000 after purchasing an additional 88,256 shares during the period.

Waystar Company Profile

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) is a leading provider of cloud-based revenue cycle management and payment solutions for healthcare organizations. The company’s unified platform streamlines the entire financial continuum of patient care, from eligibility verification and claim submission to payment reconciliation and patient billing. By automating key processes and improving claim accuracy, Waystar helps providers reduce administrative overhead, accelerate cash flow and enhance overall revenue performance.

At the core of Waystar’s offering is a SaaS-based architecture that integrates seamlessly with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems and payer networks.