Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for WEX (NYSE:WEX) Stock

WEX (NYSE:WEX) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $161.00 to $172.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the business services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.30% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings raised WEX from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on WEX from $173.00 to $152.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 29th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on WEX from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Loop Capital began coverage on WEX in a report on Monday, April 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $195.00 price target for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of WEX from $180.00 to $160.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $173.70.

WEX Price Performance

NYSE:WEX opened at $155.94 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. The firm has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a PE ratio of 17.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.85. WEX has a 12 month low of $125.29 and a 12 month high of $186.85. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $144.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.41.

WEX (NYSE:WEX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $5.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.27. WEX had a net margin of 11.50% and a return on equity of 42.66%. The company had revenue of $753.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $740.72 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.95 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. WEX has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 5.450-5.650 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 19.680-20.080 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that WEX will post 16.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

WEX announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, May 14th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to purchase up to 21.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at WEX

In related news, Director James R. Groch bought 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $142.95 per share, for a total transaction of $214,425.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,957 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,566,953.15. This represents a 9.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Robert Joseph Deshaies sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.40, for a total transaction of $296,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 20,288 shares in the company, valued at $3,010,739.20. This represents a 8.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WEX

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of WEX in the 2nd quarter valued at $208,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in WEX by 55.2% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 655 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in WEX by 679.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,583 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 1,380 shares during the period. Essential Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of WEX by 20.5% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,451 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $222,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEX in the first quarter worth about $3,501,000. 97.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More WEX News

Here are the key news stories impacting WEX this week:

• Positive Sentiment: WEX posted Q2 2026 revenue of $753.5 million, ahead of estimates, with revenue up 14.2% year over year and adjusted profitability improving across the business. WEX Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS came in at $5.35, beating consensus, while gross profit, operating profit, and net income all grew sharply year over year, reinforcing the earnings beat. WEX Inc. (WEX) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings: Revenue Growth and Profitability Improve
• Positive Sentiment: WEX also raised its full-year 2026 and third-quarter guidance above analyst expectations, signaling management confidence in the rest of the year. WEX Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on WEX to $172 while keeping an equal-weight rating, suggesting analysts see some upside but remain cautious. Morgan Stanley analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: William Blair maintained a Hold rating, citing mixed earnings quality and uneven segment trends, which may temper enthusiasm despite the earnings beat. WEX analyst note
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity has leaned toward selling, which can be a modest overhang for investor sentiment even after the strong results. Insider trading activity

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.