WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,383,738 shares, a decrease of 18.9% from the February 12th total of 1,705,497 shares. Approximately 4.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 363,080 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 363,080 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days. Approximately 4.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

WEX Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of NYSE WEX traded down $4.09 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $152.70. 430,859 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 436,735. WEX has a 1 year low of $110.45 and a 1 year high of $180.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $157.37 and a 200 day moving average of $155.57. The stock has a market cap of $5.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.97. 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 (NYSE:WEX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The business services provider reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.90 by $0.21. WEX had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 48.01%. The business had revenue of $672.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $660.89 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.57 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. WEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.250-17.850 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 3.80-4.000 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that WEX will post 14.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WEX has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group set a $165.00 target price on shares of WEX and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $146.00 target price on WEX in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Mizuho lowered their price target on WEX from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of WEX from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of WEX from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $162.27.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other WEX news, insider Sara Trickett sold 1,815 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.95, for a total value of $272,159.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $320,443.15. This trade represents a 45.93% 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 business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was 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. This represents a 17.89% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 8,154 shares of company stock worth $1,256,518 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WEX

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of WEX by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,262,255 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $513,903,000 after purchasing an additional 12,099 shares during the last quarter. Par Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of WEX by 21.6% in the 4th quarter. Par Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,252,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $335,503,000 after purchasing an additional 400,500 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its stake in WEX by 13.7% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,447,442 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $215,955,000 after buying an additional 174,079 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in WEX by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,085,795 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $159,494,000 after buying an additional 17,691 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Earnest Partners LLC increased its position in WEX by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 907,803 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $143,006,000 after buying an additional 10,027 shares in the last quarter. 97.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.