What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for Westlake Q2 Earnings?

Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for Westlake in a report released on Friday, May 22nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the specialty chemicals company will post earnings per share of $0.79 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.73. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Westlake’s current full-year earnings is $3.73 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Westlake’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.02 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.33 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.37 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.73 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.96 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at ($0.02) EPS.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $119.00 price target on shares of Westlake in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Westlake in a research report on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group set a $130.00 target price on Westlake and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $115.00 target price on Westlake and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Westlake from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $90.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.43.

Westlake Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WLK opened at $88.83 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $107.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $91.08. The company has a market cap of $11.38 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.99 and a beta of 0.67. Westlake has a 12-month low of $56.33 and a 12-month high of $124.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.77) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by ($0.67). Westlake had a negative net margin of 14.91% and a negative return on equity of 1.89%. The firm had revenue of $2.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.31) EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Westlake

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Westlake by 7,239.1% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,220,717 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $312,080,000 after acquiring an additional 4,163,207 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors bought a new position in shares of Westlake in the fourth quarter worth $160,548,000. Holocene Advisors LP lifted its position in Westlake by 440.1% during the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 854,184 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $65,823,000 after purchasing an additional 696,029 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Westlake by 45.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,885,678 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $139,431,000 after buying an additional 585,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Westlake by 13.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,917,329 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $289,647,000 after acquiring an additional 477,698 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 28.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Westlake

In other Westlake news, CFO Mark Steven Bender sold 17,409 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.92, for a total value of $1,756,916.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 44,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,484,178.36. This represents a 28.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Westlake Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 27th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Westlake’s payout ratio is presently -16.69%.

About Westlake

Westlake Corp. is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, polymers and building products, serving customers across industrial and residential markets. The company’s core operations encompass the production of vinyls—primarily polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and its key feedstock vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)—as well as chlor-alkali products including caustic soda and chlorine. In addition, Westlake produces ethylene, propylene and specialty elastomers, along with construction-related materials such as vinyl siding, trim, windows and roofing systems.

Operating a network of vertically integrated plants and distribution centers, Westlake serves markets in North America, Europe and Asia.