Freedom Capital Upgrades Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) to “Strong-Buy”

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

WAY has been the subject of several other research reports. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Waystar from $46.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial cut their price objective on Waystar from $51.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Loop Capital set a $33.00 target price on Waystar in a report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Waystar from $44.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Waystar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waystar presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $37.19.

Waystar Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of WAY opened at $25.79 on Wednesday. Waystar has a 52-week low of $21.13 and a 52-week high of $45.00. The stock has a market cap of $4.94 billion, a PE ratio of 42.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.75. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $29.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.08. The company has a quick ratio of 3.89, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). The company had revenue of $303.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $294.72 million. Waystar had a net margin of 10.20% and a return on equity of 6.86%. Waystar’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. Waystar has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.590-1.680 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Waystar will post 0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Waystar

In other Waystar news, CMO Melissa F. (Missy) Miller sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.00, for a total transaction of $125,800.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 193,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,150,657. This represents a 1.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Christopher L. Schremser sold 8,623 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.41, for a total value of $262,225.43. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 422,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,844,302.11. The trade was a 2.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 61,949 shares of company stock valued at $1,916,380 in the last quarter. Insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waystar

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Waystar during the third quarter worth $25,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd boosted its holdings in Waystar by 120.1% during the 3rd quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 823 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Waystar in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waystar by 6,005.3% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,141 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waystar by 50.6% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter.

Waystar News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Waystar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results & company outlook: Waystar reported revenue above expectations and highlighted a swing to profitability with a double‑digit growth outlook, which lifted investor sentiment. Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Capital upgraded WAY from “hold” to “strong‑buy,” supporting near‑term demand for the shares. Zacks – Freedom Capital Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed earnings details: Waystar beat revenue expectations but missed EPS (reported $0.36 vs. $0.39 est.), and issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance (1.590–1.680), creating both upside potential and near‑term uncertainty. Q4 Earnings Assessment
• Neutral Sentiment: Top‑sellside firms trimmed targets but kept constructive ratings: Truist cut its PT to $38 (still a Buy) and Citigroup trimmed its PT to $35 while maintaining Buy—signals of moderated upside rather than a loss of conviction. Benzinga – PT Cuts
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho and others reduced targets but kept positive stances (e.g., Outperform), reflecting reassessed competitive risks rather than full downgrades. Mizuho PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cutting forecasts and price targets after Q4: Several firms reduced their forecasts/PTs (Needham to $33, others noted in coverage), pressuring expected upside. Needham Lowers PT
• Negative Sentiment: Risk flags and structural concerns: An analyst note highlighted legal, operational and competitive risks — including AI‑related threats — which raise longer‑term execution uncertainty. AI Risk Note
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility: Coverage noted a 1‑year low post‑earnings in some reports; mixed results and multiple PT cuts are keeping the shares volatile. Price Reaction Coverage

About Waystar

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.