UBS Group Issues Positive Forecast for Westlake (NYSE:WLK) Stock Price

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) had its price target hoisted by UBS Group from $92.00 to $129.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America raised Westlake from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $87.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Westlake in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Westlake in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $83.00 price objective (down from $91.00) on shares of Westlake in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $78.00 target price on shares of Westlake and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Westlake has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $92.53.

Westlake Stock Performance

Shares of WLK opened at $103.13 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Westlake has a 52-week low of $56.33 and a 52-week high of $114.75. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $79.47. The company has a market capitalization 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 issued its 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 net margin of 13.50% and a negative return on equity of 1.22%. The company had revenue of $2.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.06 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Westlake will post 6.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Westlake Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Westlake’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -18.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Westlake news, Chairman Albert Chao sold 40,836 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.57, for a total value of $3,004,304.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 627,722 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,181,507.54. The trade was a 6.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Westlake

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in Westlake by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,108 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $304,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Westlake by 11.8% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,433 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Westlake by 0.6% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 28,134 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $2,136,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey lifted its holdings in shares of Westlake by 4.1% in the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 5,020 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $381,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Westlake by 54.5% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 567 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Westlake News

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

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.