Research Analysts Offer Predictions for Westlake Q4 Earnings

Westlake Co. (NYSE:WLK) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q4 2024 earnings estimates for Westlake in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, November 25th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the specialty chemicals company will post earnings per share of $1.07 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.19. The consensus estimate for Westlake’s current full-year earnings is $6.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Westlake’s FY2025 earnings at $6.82 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $2.64 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $8.63 EPS.

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by ($0.80). The company had revenue of $3.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. Westlake had a return on equity of 6.93% and a net margin of 0.81%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.20 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on WLK. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Westlake from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Westlake from $171.00 to $165.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Westlake in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $170.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Westlake from $160.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Westlake from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $151.00 to $159.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $162.17.

Westlake Stock Performance

NYSE WLK opened at $128.19 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $138.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.26. The stock has a market cap of $16.50 billion, a PE ratio of 180.55, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.19. Westlake has a fifty-two week low of $118.64 and a fifty-two week high of $162.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 2.79.

Westlake Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 26th will be issued a $0.525 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. Westlake’s payout ratio is 295.77%.

Insider Activity at Westlake

In related news, Director David Tsung-Hung Chao sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $227,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,534 shares in the company, valued at $1,239,420. The trade was a 15.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Westlake

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp increased its stake in Westlake by 0.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,198,710 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $180,154,000 after purchasing an additional 9,838 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in Westlake by 699.1% in the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 595,149 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $89,445,000 after purchasing an additional 520,669 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Westlake by 4.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 552,646 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $82,837,000 after purchasing an additional 23,558 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in Westlake by 90.6% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 386,480 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $58,084,000 after purchasing an additional 183,666 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ilex Capital Partners UK LLP bought a new stake in Westlake in the third quarter valued at $55,542,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.40% of the company’s stock.

About Westlake

Westlake Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of performance and essential materials, and housing and infrastructure products in the United States, Canada, Germany, China, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Taiwan, and internationally. The company operates through two segments: Performance and Essential Materials and Housing and Infrastructure Products.