Wall Street Zen Upgrades World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) to Strong-Buy

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on WKC. Zacks Research upgraded shares of World Kinect from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of World Kinect from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 target price on shares of World Kinect in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.00.

World Kinect Stock Performance

NYSE WKC opened at $39.82 on Friday. World Kinect has a 1 year low of $22.21 and a 1 year high of $41.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.41, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $33.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.25.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at World Kinect

In other World Kinect news, Chairman Michael J. Kasbar sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.04, for a total value of $876,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 986,450 shares in the company, valued at $34,565,208. This trade represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 33,445 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.93, for a total value of $1,335,458.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 58,878 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,350,998.54. This represents a 36.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 139,773 shares of company stock valued at $4,699,017 over the last 90 days. 3.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Kinect

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of World Kinect during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of World Kinect in the third quarter worth $61,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its position in shares of World Kinect by 977.9% in the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 2,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 2,386 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of World Kinect by 108.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,633 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 1,372 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in World Kinect during the second quarter worth about $96,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.06% of the company’s stock.

About World Kinect

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.