Insider Buying: WEX (NYSE:WEX) Director Buys 1,500 Shares of Stock

WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) Director James Groch purchased 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $142.95 per share, for a total transaction of $214,425.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 17,957 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,566,953.15. The trade was a 9.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

WEX Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:WEX traded up $2.97 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $144.05. 485,899 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 514,610. The stock has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.87. WEX Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $128.91 and a fifty-two week high of $186.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $154.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $153.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83.

WEX (NYSE:WEX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.92 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $673.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $660.96 million. WEX had a return on equity of 42.66% and a net margin of 11.50%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that WEX Inc. will post 15.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WEX declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, May 14th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the business services provider to reacquire up to 21.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Loop Capital assumed coverage on WEX in a report on Monday, April 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $195.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on WEX from $175.00 to $155.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Mizuho decreased their target price on WEX from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on WEX from $146.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on WEX from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $169.27.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in WEX by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,205 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in WEX by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 9,615 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,515,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its holdings in WEX by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 2,558 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $403,000 after buying an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of WEX by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,985 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $785,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Corp lifted its position in shares of WEX by 65.7% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 237 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. 97.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.