Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for WEX (NYSE:WEX) Stock

WEX (NYSE:WEX) had its target price hoisted by stock analysts at Robert W. Baird from $210.00 to $220.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 18.75% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on WEX. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on WEX from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group set a $165.00 price target on WEX and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on WEX from $146.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of WEX in a research report on Monday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $164.27.

WEX Stock Up 4.4%

WEX opened at $185.26 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $159.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $154.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.05. WEX has a one year low of $120.03 and a one year high of $186.86. The stock 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.15 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.92 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $673.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $660.96 million. WEX had a return on equity of 48.01% and a net margin of 11.43%.The business’s revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.51 earnings per share. WEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 18.950-19.550 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.930-5.130 EPS. Analysts anticipate that WEX will post 15.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at WEX

In other news, CAO Jennifer Kimball sold 715 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $112,841.30. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $978,957.46. The trade was a 10.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Sara Trickett sold 1,815 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.95, for a total value of $272,159.25. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 2,137 shares in the company, valued at $320,443.15. This trade represents a 45.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,479 shares of company stock worth $2,454,914. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WEX

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. boosted its stake in shares of WEX by 19.7% during the 3rd quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 43,800 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $6,900,000 after acquiring an additional 7,200 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its stake in WEX by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 907,803 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $143,006,000 after buying an additional 10,027 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in WEX by 1,289.3% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 19,797 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,119,000 after buying an additional 18,372 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in WEX by 103.8% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 24,088 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,795,000 after buying an additional 12,266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Snyder Capital Management L P lifted its stake in WEX by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Snyder Capital Management L P now owns 175,427 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,635,000 after buying an additional 21,028 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.47% of the company’s stock.

More WEX News

Here are the key news stories impacting WEX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — WEX reported revenue of ~$673.8M and EPS that topped consensus, with management saying revenue and adjusted net income exceeded the high end of guidance. This underpins the near-term upside in the stock. WEX Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised guidance — WEX updated Q2 2026 EPS guidance to $4.93–$5.13 and FY2026 to $18.95–$19.55 (both above consensus), and gave higher revenue ranges, signaling management confidence in growth and margin trends.
• Positive Sentiment: Management is pushing the investment story — WEX published a shareholder letter highlighting “accelerating momentum” and will host a virtual fireside chat (April 27) to discuss strategy and value-creation plans, which supports further institutional interest. WEX Issues Letter to Shareholders WEX to Host Virtual Fireside Chat
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity mixed — Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $158 (from $146) but kept an equal-weight rating; the move is a modest vote of confidence but the target remains below the current market price, so impact is mixed. Morgan Stanley Raises WEX Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Proxy contest/governance risk — Impactive Capital’s campaign continues to gain traction: Glass Lewis has recommended two dissident nominees, increasing the risk of board change and short-term stock volatility tied to the proxy fight. Glass Lewis Supports Impactive’s Case
• Negative Sentiment: Cash-flow and balance-sheet items flagged — some third‑party summaries note weakening operating cash flow and rising liabilities year‑over‑year, plus notable recent insider selling, which are areas investors should monitor despite the earnings beat. QuiverQuant Q1 Summary

About WEX

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.