Westlake (NYSE:WLK) Given New $97.00 Price Target at Mizuho

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) had its price target hoisted by stock analysts at Mizuho from $88.00 to $97.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective suggests a potential downside of 5.56% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on WLK. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price target (up from $85.00) on shares of Westlake in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $78.00 price objective on Westlake and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Westlake in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Alembic Global Advisors set a $80.00 price objective on shares of Westlake in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $92.00 price target (down from $93.00) on shares of Westlake in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $90.07.

Westlake Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE WLK traded down $1.46 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $102.71. 444,314 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,425,417. Westlake has a 52 week low of $56.33 and a 52 week high of $114.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $85.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $79.30. The stock has a market cap of $13.17 billion, a PE ratio of -13.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 46.82 and a beta of 0.91.

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.25) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $1.22. Westlake had a negative net margin of 8.34% and a negative return on equity of 0.78%. The firm had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.06 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Westlake will post 6.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Westlake

In related 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 sale, the chairman 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Westlake

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WLK. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Westlake by 58.2% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 213,157 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $15,761,000 after purchasing an additional 78,458 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Westlake by 53.6% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 50,715 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $3,750,000 after buying an additional 17,689 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in Westlake during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,457,000. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC purchased a new position in Westlake in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $665,000. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury grew its stake in shares of Westlake by 158.2% in the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 12,946 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,027,000 after acquiring an additional 7,933 shares in the last quarter. 28.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Westlake News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Westlake this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS beat and adjusted loss narrowed — Westlake reported a smaller-than-expected loss per share (beat vs. consensus), and management’s adjusted results helped stocks react positively after the print. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Shares rose intra-day as the adjusted loss narrowed despite the sales decline — market reaction reflected relief on profitability trends and execution. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Business development: expanded distribution in India with Brenntag to broaden epoxy reach in Asia‑Pacific, supporting future growth opportunities. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance cautious: BMO Capital kept a Hold rating and $108 target citing balanced risk/reward — acknowledges cost-saving upside but is wary of the market headwinds. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presentation and call materials are available — they detail cost actions, segment trends and outlook commentary that investors will parse for 2026 recovery signals. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and weaker demand: Q4 sales of $2.53B fell short of estimates (~$2.61B) and were down ~10.9% year‑over‑year due to weak volumes and lower selling prices, pressuring top‑line momentum. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability metrics remain weak: the company reported a negative net margin and negative ROE for the quarter, and TipRanks flagged a significant full‑year loss, keeping near‑term financial pressure on the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Market headwinds remain: management emphasized weak volumes/pricing that compressed margins — until volumes/pricing normalize or cost savings accelerate, upside may be limited. Read More.

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.