Latest news with #WestlakeCorporation
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Truist Financial Keeps Their Buy Rating on Westlake Corporation (WLK)
Truist Financial analyst Pete Osterland maintained a Buy rating on Westlake Corporation (WLK – Research Report) today and set a price target of $92.00. The company's shares closed today at $71.53. Confident Investing Starts Here: Osterland covers the Basic Materials sector, focusing on stocks such as Westlake Corporation, Minerals Technologies, and Olin. According to TipRanks, Osterland has an average return of -18.0% and a 15.79% success rate on recommended stocks. In addition to Truist Financial, Westlake Corporation also received a Buy from Citi's Patrick Cunningham in a report issued yesterday. However, on the same day, Morgan Stanley maintained a Hold rating on Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK).
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UBS Lowers Price Target on Westlake (WLK), Keeps Buy Rating
On May 28, UBS lowered the firm's price target on Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) from $118 to $101, while keeping a Buy rating on the stock. The adjustment reflects the near-term challenges for the company's Performance and Essential Materials (PEM) Segment. A closeup of a Petrochemical product being inspected for quality assurance. The company reported its fiscal first quarter results for 2025 on May 2. The company reported net sales of $2.85 billion down from $2.98 billion a year ago. The PEM segment faced headwinds from a strong run-up in feedstock and increased energy prices which led the net sales down from $1.91 billion in Q1 2024 to $1.85 billion in the recent quarter. The higher cost also led the EBITDA of the PEM segment to be $180 million lower than the previous year. The firm still sees Westlake Corporation's (NYSE:WLK) commodity products as favorably priced in the market. However, UBS anticipates continued challenges for the near-term at least thereby leading to a reduced price target. Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) is an international manufacturer of materials and products. It provides building blocks for major industries including housing and construction. Packaging, healthcare, automotive, and consumer goods. It operates through two main segments: Performance and Essential Materials (PEM) and Housing and Infrastructure Products. While we acknowledge the potential of WLK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WLK and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
We Think Westlake's (NYSE:WLK) Solid Earnings Are Understated
The stock was sluggish on the back of Westlake Corporation's (NYSE:WLK) recent earnings report. Along with the solid headline numbers, we think that investors have some reasons for optimism. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. For anyone who wants to understand Westlake's profit beyond the statutory numbers, it's important to note that during the last twelve months statutory profit was reduced by US$75m due to unusual items. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. We looked at thousands of listed companies and found that unusual items are very often one-off in nature. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. Assuming those unusual expenses don't come up again, we'd therefore expect Westlake to produce a higher profit next year, all else being equal. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. Unusual items (expenses) detracted from Westlake's earnings over the last year, but we might see an improvement next year. Based on this observation, we consider it likely that Westlake's statutory profit actually understates its earnings potential! And on top of that, its earnings per share increased by 50% in the last year. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Westlake. Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Westlake's profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with significant insider holdings to be useful. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Westlake Included in Forbes' America's Best Employers 2025 List
HOUSTON, April 08, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK) announced today that it has been named on the Forbes list of "America's Best Employers 2025." Forbes selected the "America's Best Employers 2025" through an independent survey of over 217,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people within the United States. "We are honored to receive this recognition and are deeply proud of the incredible team we have built at Westlake," said Jean-Marc Gilson, president and chief executive officer. "Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, and this award reflects our ongoing dedication to creating a workplace where everyone makes a difference and feels valued, supported, and empowered. We believe that when our employees thrive, our company thrives, and this recognition is a testament to that philosophy." About Westlake: Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK) is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and innovative products that enhance life every day. Headquartered in Houston, with operations in Asia, Europe, and North America, we provide the building blocks for vital solutions — from housing and construction, to packaging and healthcare, to automotive and consumer. For more information, visit the company's website at View source version on Contacts Chip Swearnganmediarelations@ 1-713-960-9111 Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Westlake Corporation (WLK) the Undervalued Chemical Stock to Buy Now?
We recently published a list of . In this article, we are going to take a look at where Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) stands against other undervalued chemical stocks to buy now. President Trump is looking to place 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and this could negatively influence US industries and critical sectors beyond just autos. According to a report by CNBC in January 2025 by Lori Ann LaRocco, Canada is the largest partner with the US for critical chemicals. READ ALSO: 15 Best EV Stocks To Buy According to Billionaires and 10 Best Stocks Under $10 to Buy Now. The US chemicals industry also exports a huge amount of products to Canada. In 2023, US firms sold over $28 billion in chemicals to Canadian customers. On the other hand, Canadian partners export approximately $25 billion in chemicals to the US annually, as per the American Chemistry Council. Texas, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Iowa are the top chemical-producing states and they account for about 66% of total US chemical production while the rest of the chemicals are imported. According to the American Chemical Council, Canada is the leading source of chemical imports to the US and accounted for 18.1% of the total chemical imports in 2023. Canada is followed by China and South Korea. Eric Byer, CEO of the Alliance for Chemical Distribution, pointed out that if there is a trade war between Canada and the US, the price of critical chemicals could lead to inflationary pressures on US consumers and industries. According to Byer, Canada exports approximately 80% of the chlorine used in disinfecting drinking water for the West Coast states. He also pointed out that the US exports large amounts of phenol to Canada for use in the wood products industry. Some of that treated lumber is then also exported back into the US from Canada for domestic consumption and home construction purposes. The US-Canada chemical trade relationship supports other industries as well and disruption of this trade between the two countries could have far-reaching consequences. Our Methodology To compile our list of the 11 undervalued chemical stocks to buy now, we looked for the largest chemical companies. We reviewed our own rankings, financial media reports, ETFs, and various online resources to compile a list of the best chemical stocks. To find undervalued chemical stocks, we narrowed down our selection by looking for stocks trading at under 20 times their forward earnings as of March 28, 2025. Next, we focused on the top 11 undervalued chemical stocks most favored by institutional investors. Data for the hedge fund sentiment surrounding each stock was taken from Insider Monkey's Q4 2024 database of more than 1,000 elite hedge funds. Finally, the 11 undervalued chemical stocks to buy were ranked in ascending order based on the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them as of Q4 2024. Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). A closeup of a Petrochemical product being inspected for quality assurance. Forward P/E: 15.60 Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34 Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) is a global diversified industrial company that manufactures and supplies chemicals, polymers, and building products for use in various consumer and industrial markets like housing and infrastructure, packaging, healthcare, automotive, and consumer goods. The company's products and solutions are used in food packaging, medical devices, soaps and detergents, car interiors, fashion, toys, shoes, furniture, electronics, siding, stone veneer, windows, outdoor living, roofing, and pipe & fittings. Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK) ranks among the best chemical stocks to buy now. On March 28, Truist Securities lowered its price target on Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) from $166 to $155 and maintained a 'Buy' rating. Analyst Peter Osterland revised estimates to reflect a 'more conservative outlook' for the company's performance in its Performance Materials (PEM) segment, especially in the first half of 2025. The more cautious outlook is partly driven by input cost pressure and outage-related expenses. Despite this change, the analyst remains positive about the company's fundamentals and believes that the current stock price doesn't fully reflect the company's strengths. According to Osterland, these strengths of Westlake Corporation (NYSE:WLK) include its integrated portfolio, diversification into building products, and strong balance sheet. Overall, WLK ranks 9th on our list of undervalued chemical stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of WLK, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WLK but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at . Sign in to access your portfolio
