Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. Acquires 7,066 Shares of Westlake Corporation $WLK

Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) by 61.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,640 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after buying an additional 7,066 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Westlake were worth $1,436,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brandes Investment Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Westlake by 246.0% in the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 1,456,871 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $110,621,000 after acquiring an additional 1,035,851 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Westlake during the second quarter valued at approximately $104,314,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in Westlake in the second quarter valued at approximately $62,508,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Westlake by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 546,151 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $41,923,000 after purchasing an additional 25,414 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Westlake by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 422,640 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $32,569,000 after purchasing an additional 67,486 shares during the last quarter. 28.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Westlake from $88.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. KeyCorp reiterated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Westlake in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Westlake from $82.00 to $99.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $83.00 target price (down from $91.00) on shares of Westlake in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $80.00 target price on shares of Westlake in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $92.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Westlake news, Chairman Albert Chao sold 40,836 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.57, for a total value of $3,004,304.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 627,722 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,181,507.54. The trade was a 6.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Westlake Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:WLK opened at $103.13 on Thursday. Westlake Corporation has a 12-month low of $56.33 and a 12-month high of $114.75. The business has a 50 day moving average of $85.85 and a 200-day moving average of $79.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $13.23 billion, a PE ratio of -8.81, a P/E/G ratio of 52.44 and a beta of 0.91.

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.25) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $1.22. Westlake had a negative return on equity of 1.22% and a negative net margin of 13.50%.The business had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.61 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.06 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Westlake Corporation will post 6.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Westlake Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. Westlake’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -18.12%.

Westlake News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Westlake this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target sharply to $129 and initiated/maintained a Buy view, implying ~25% upside versus the current price — a clear bullish catalyst for investors expecting a recovery. UBS price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat expectations: Westlake reported a narrower adjusted loss and beat consensus on EPS, which analysts and management say could set the stage for a profit rebound in 2026 — this helped spur short‑term buying after the print. WLK Q4 Earnings Beat, Sales Miss
• Positive Sentiment: Business development: Westlake expanded an epoxy distribution partnership with Brenntag in India, supporting APAC growth exposure if volumes recover. India distribution expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO Capital reiterated a Hold and a $108 target, signaling balanced risk/reward despite Q4 positives and cost‑saving potential — keeps sentiment mixed. BMO Hold maintained
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue and fundamentals were weaker: Q4 sales missed estimates and were down ~10.9% YoY, with weak volumes and pricing, negative net margin and a negative ROE — headwinds to near‑term earnings. Press release / Q4 results
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lifted its target to $97 but kept a Neutral rating — that PT sits below the current price and signals potential downside from some analysts’ perspectives. Mizuho price target update

Westlake Company Profile

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.