Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) Stock Price

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) had its price objective dropped by analysts at Citigroup from $46.00 to $35.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 35.71% from the stock’s current price.

WAY has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays dropped their target price on Waystar from $42.00 to $36.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Waystar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Evercore set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Waystar in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Waystar in a research note on Monday, December 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $41.00 target price for the company. Finally, Mizuho set a $42.00 target price on shares of Waystar in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Waystar presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $37.19.

Waystar Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ WAY opened at $25.79 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.28, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.75. Waystar has a 52-week low of $21.13 and a 52-week high of $45.00. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $29.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.08. The company has a quick ratio of 3.89, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $303.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $294.72 million. Waystar had a net margin of 10.20% and a return on equity of 6.86%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. Waystar has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.590-1.680 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Waystar will post 0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waystar

In related news, CTO Christopher L. Schremser sold 8,623 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.41, for a total transaction of $262,225.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 422,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,844,302.11. This trade represents a 2.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Melissa F. (Missy) Miller sold 3,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.00, for a total transaction of $125,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 193,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,150,657. This trade represents a 1.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 61,949 shares of company stock valued at $1,916,380. 4.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waystar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Waystar by 50.6% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Waystar by 120.1% during the 3rd quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 823 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 449 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waystar by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 106,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,478,000 after acquiring an additional 559 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Waystar by 22.1% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares during the period. Finally, BCS Private Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Waystar by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. BCS Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the period.

Key Waystar News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waystar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results & company outlook: Waystar reported revenue above expectations and highlighted a swing to profitability with a double‑digit growth outlook, which lifted investor sentiment. Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Freedom Capital upgraded WAY from “hold” to “strong‑buy,” supporting near‑term demand for the shares. Zacks – Freedom Capital Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed earnings details: Waystar beat revenue expectations but missed EPS (reported $0.36 vs. $0.39 est.), and issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance (1.590–1.680), creating both upside potential and near‑term uncertainty. Q4 Earnings Assessment
• Neutral Sentiment: Top‑sellside firms trimmed targets but kept constructive ratings: Truist cut its PT to $38 (still a Buy) and Citigroup trimmed its PT to $35 while maintaining Buy—signals of moderated upside rather than a loss of conviction. Benzinga – PT Cuts
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho and others reduced targets but kept positive stances (e.g., Outperform), reflecting reassessed competitive risks rather than full downgrades. Mizuho PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cutting forecasts and price targets after Q4: Several firms reduced their forecasts/PTs (Needham to $33, others noted in coverage), pressuring expected upside. Needham Lowers PT
• Negative Sentiment: Risk flags and structural concerns: An analyst note highlighted legal, operational and competitive risks — including AI‑related threats — which raise longer‑term execution uncertainty. AI Risk Note
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility: Coverage noted a 1‑year low post‑earnings in some reports; mixed results and multiple PT cuts are keeping the shares volatile. Price Reaction Coverage

About Waystar

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) is a leading provider of cloud-based revenue cycle management and payment solutions for healthcare organizations. The company’s unified platform streamlines the entire financial continuum of patient care, from eligibility verification and claim submission to payment reconciliation and patient billing. By automating key processes and improving claim accuracy, Waystar helps providers reduce administrative overhead, accelerate cash flow and enhance overall revenue performance.

At the core of Waystar’s offering is a SaaS-based architecture that integrates seamlessly with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems and payer networks.