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On Thursday, BofA Securities issued a new rating for WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX), downgrading the stock from Buy to Neutral and significantly reducing the price target to $164 from the previous $211. The adjustment comes in the wake of WEX’s fourth-quarter earnings report, which BofA Securities believes has eroded confidence in the company’s performance. This downgrade aligns with InvestingPro data showing seven analysts recently revising their earnings expectations downward, though analysis suggests the stock may be undervalued at current levels.
The lowered earnings guidance provided by WEX for the upcoming year fell short of expectations, with the midpoint of the approximately 25% EPS guidance being 11% below the consensus and 9% under BofA Securities’ own forecasts. Additionally, WEX revised its long-term growth targets downward, now aiming for 5-10% organic revenue growth, a decrease from the previous 8-12%, and adjusted EPS growth of 10-15%, down from the earlier target of 15-20% adjusted net income growth. The company’s current revenue growth stands at 6.06%, with a P/E ratio of 19.17 and a market capitalization of approximately $6 billion.
According to BofA Securities, the latest quarterly results have highlighted unique growth challenges that WEX is encountering. The firm also cited increased cyclicality and competitive pressures as factors that could negatively impact investor sentiment toward the company. Despite WEX’s efforts to invest in sales initiatives aimed at reigniting growth, BofA Securities suggests that the stock has turned into a "show me" story, indicating that it may take time for confidence to be restored and for investor sentiment to turn positive again. InvestingPro subscribers can access detailed analysis of WEX’s financial health, including comprehensive valuation metrics and growth indicators in the Pro Research Report, helping investors make more informed decisions during this period of uncertainty.
The downgrade and reduced price target reflect a cautious stance on WEX’s future performance, as the company now faces the task of meeting its revised, more modest growth objectives. The market’s reaction to these changes will likely depend on WEX’s ability to demonstrate progress and potentially exceed its new targets in the coming quarters. With a beta of 1.58 indicating higher volatility than the market average, investors should note that WEX is currently trading near its 52-week low, presenting a potential opportunity according to InvestingPro’s Fair Value analysis.
In other recent news, Wex Inc. reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that fell short of analyst expectations, leading to a significant drop in their stock. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.57, missing the projected $3.61, and a 4% year-on-year revenue decline to $637 million, which was below the anticipated $643.1 million.
Wex’s guidance for the first quarter and full year of 2025 also did not meet Wall Street’s projections. The company expects revenue between $625 million and $640 million for the first quarter, with adjusted EPS between $3.35 to $3.50, both lower than analysts’ estimates.
For the full year 2025, Wex projects revenue of $2.60 billion to $2.66 billion and adjusted EPS of $14.65 to $15.25, again falling short of analyst predictions. Despite these disappointing figures, Wex’s CEO, Melissa Smith, remains optimistic about the company’s long-term success, citing targeted investments in product innovation and sales expansion.
However, Andrew Jeffrey from William Blair expressed concerns about the company’s investments in its payment business. These developments are part of the company’s recent performance and future expectations.
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