WEX (NYSE:WEX) Reaches New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) shares hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $146.00 to $158.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. WEX traded as high as $186.16 and last traded at $182.6060, with a volume of 222064 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $177.53.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of WEX from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of WEX from $175.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group set a $165.00 target price on shares of WEX and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of WEX from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $163.36.

Insider Transactions at WEX

In other news, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 3,238 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.22, for a total value of $486,412.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 14,859 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,232,118.98. This trade represents a 17.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Sara Trickett sold 1,815 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.95, for a total transaction of $272,159.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $320,443.15. This represents a 45.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,479 shares of company stock worth $2,454,914. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting WEX

Here are the key news stories impacting WEX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — WEX reported adjusted EPS of $4.15 and revenue of $673.8M (up ~5.8% YoY), above consensus, showing revenue and margin strength. Wex (WEX) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised guidance — WEX bumped Q2 FY2026 EPS to $4.93–$5.13 and full‑year FY2026 EPS to $18.95–$19.55, both above Wall Street consensus, giving forward earnings visibility that likely helped the stock. (Guidance summary from company release)
• Positive Sentiment: Management outreach and shareholder letter — Management published a letter highlighting accelerating momentum and will host a virtual fireside chat (Apr 27) to discuss strategy and value‑creation initiatives, which supports the bullish guidance narrative. WEX Issues Letter to Shareholders WEX to Host Virtual Fireside Chat
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage mixed — Some firms raised targets (Morgan Stanley raised its target to $158 though still “equal weight”), while consensus ratings remain largely “Hold”; investor reaction may depend on how guidance changes forward multiple expectations. Analyst Note: Morgan Stanley Target Change
• Neutral Sentiment: Proxy contest dynamics — Leading proxy adviser Glass Lewis recommended support for dissident nominees backed by large holder Impactive, keeping governance and potential board change risk in play for investors. Glass Lewis Supports Impactive’s Case for Change at WEX
• Negative Sentiment: Operating cash flow weakness and higher liabilities — Company EBITDA/margins improved, but reported operating cash flow weakened materially year‑over‑year and total liabilities increased, a potential concern for leverage and cash generation. QuiverQuant: Q1 Results and Cash Flow Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — Recent Rule 10b5‑1 insider sales (COO and others) have been reported; while some sales are pre‑arranged, they can create short‑term sentiment pressure. SEC Form 4 — Insider Sale

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new position in shares of WEX in the 1st quarter worth about $620,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of WEX in the 1st quarter worth about $220,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in shares of WEX in the 1st quarter worth about $1,515,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of WEX by 29.6% in the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,740 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $419,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of WEX by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,280 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $961,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. 97.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

WEX Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86. The company’s 50 day moving average is $159.02 and its 200-day moving average is $154.61. The company has a market capitalization of $6.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.93.

WEX (NYSE:WEX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.92 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $673.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $660.96 million. WEX had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 48.01%. WEX’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.51 EPS. WEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.950-19.550 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.930-5.130 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that WEX Inc. will post 15.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WEX Company Profile

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.