Westlake (NYSE:WLK) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) had its target price lifted by equities researchers at UBS Group from $92.00 to $129.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the specialty chemicals company’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 24.90% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Alembic Global Advisors set a $80.00 price target on shares of Westlake in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Westlake from $82.00 to $99.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America raised Westlake from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their target price for the company from $87.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $80.00 price target on Westlake in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Westlake in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Westlake has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $92.53.

Westlake Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:WLK traded down $0.89 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $103.29. 940,607 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,434,448. The stock has a market cap of $13.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 46.82 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.99. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $85.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $79.30. Westlake has a 52-week low of $56.33 and a 52-week high of $114.75.

Westlake (NYSE:WLK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.25) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $1.22. Westlake had a negative net margin of 8.34% and a negative return on equity of 0.78%. The business had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.61 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.06 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Westlake will post 6.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Albert Chao sold 40,836 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.57, for a total value of $3,004,304.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 627,722 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,181,507.54. This trade represents a 6.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Westlake

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd increased its holdings in Westlake by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 4,386,635 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $324,348,000 after acquiring an additional 472,224 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Westlake by 7,239.1% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,220,717 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $312,080,000 after purchasing an additional 4,163,207 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Westlake by 13.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,917,329 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $289,647,000 after purchasing an additional 477,698 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Westlake during the 4th quarter worth about $160,548,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Westlake by 45.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,885,678 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $139,431,000 after buying an additional 585,438 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Westlake News

Here are the key news stories impacting Westlake this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and adjusted loss narrowed — Westlake reported ($0.25) EPS, beating consensus by a wide margin; the company and some outlets flagged improvement vs. prior loss and management expects a profit rebound in 2026, which supports upside if execution continues. WLK Reports Q4 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlights cost-saving opportunities and recovery roadmap — earnings call and presentation emphasized strategic cost actions and a path to margin recovery that could boost cash flow and sentiment if visible in coming quarters. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Asia distribution expansion — Westlake unit expanded its epoxy distribution partnership with Brenntag into India, supporting long‑term growth in APAC industrial and infrastructure demand. Distribution Partnership Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO maintains Hold (PT $108) — BMO’s analyst kept a Hold rating and $108 target, citing balanced risk/reward despite Q4 strength and cost-saving upside; this signals guarded optimism rather than a clear buy case. BMO Hold Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Board changes — Appointment of Bhavesh V. “Bob” Patel and CEO Jean‑Marc Gilson to the board may strengthen governance and industry expertise, but is not an immediate earnings driver. Board Appointments
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and demand weakness — Q4 sales of $2.53B beat neither expectations nor last year’s level (down ~10.9% YoY); management cited weak volumes and pricing, a clear near‑term headwind to earnings recovery. Earnings — Sales Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho raises target to $97 but keeps Neutral — Mizuho’s $97 target implies downside from current levels, reinforcing cautious analyst positioning and suggesting limited near‑term upside in consensus targets. Mizuho Price Target Note

Westlake Company Profile

Westlake Corp. is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, polymers and building products, serving customers across industrial and residential markets. The company’s core operations encompass the production of vinyls—primarily polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and its key feedstock vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)—as well as chlor-alkali products including caustic soda and chlorine. In addition, Westlake produces ethylene, propylene and specialty elastomers, along with construction-related materials such as vinyl siding, trim, windows and roofing systems.

Operating a network of vertically integrated plants and distribution centers, Westlake serves markets in North America, Europe and Asia.