Westlake Stock: A Deep Dive Into Analyst Perspectives (13 Ratings)

In the last three months, 13 analysts have published ratings on Westlake (NYSE:WLK), offering a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish.

The table below summarizes their recent ratings, showcasing the evolving sentiments within the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months.

	Bullish	Somewhat Bullish	Indifferent	Somewhat Bearish	Bearish
Total Ratings	3	4	6	0	0
Last 30D	0	0	1	0	0
1M Ago	1	3	4	0	0
2M Ago	1	0	0	0	0
3M Ago	1	1	1	0	0

In the assessment of 12-month price targets, analysts unveil insights for Westlake, presenting an average target of $133.92, a high estimate of $168.00, and a low estimate of $110.00. This current average has decreased by 10.47% from the previous average price target of $149.58.

Deciphering Analyst Ratings: An In-Depth Analysis

The analysis of recent analyst actions sheds light on the perception of Westlake by financial experts. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.

Analyst	Analyst Firm	Action Taken	Rating	Current Price Target	Prior Price Target
Charles Neivert	Piper Sandler	Lowers	Neutral	$120.00	$135.00
Jeffrey Zekauskas	JP Morgan	Lowers	Neutral	$110.00	$135.00
Arun Viswanathan	RBC Capital	Lowers	Outperform	$133.00	$147.00
Neel Kumar	Morgan Stanley	Lowers	Equal-Weight	$122.00	$130.00
John McNulty	BMO Capital	Lowers	Market Perform	$132.00	$157.00
Peter Osterland	Truist Securities	Lowers	Buy	$166.00	$168.00
Michael Sison	Wells Fargo	Lowers	Overweight	$130.00	$160.00
Steve Byrne	B of A Securities	Lowers	Neutral	$116.00	$134.00
Michael Leithead	Barclays	Lowers	Overweight	$135.00	$175.00
Peter Osterland	Truist Securities	Announces	Buy	$168.00	-
Neel Kumar	Morgan Stanley	Lowers	Equal-Weight	$130.00	$155.00
Joshua Spector	UBS	Maintains	Buy	$144.00	$144.00
Charles Neivert	Piper Sandler	Lowers	Overweight	$135.00	$155.00

Key Insights:

• Action Taken: Analysts adapt their recommendations to changing market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their response to recent developments related to Westlake. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company.
• Rating: Analyzing trends, analysts offer qualitative evaluations, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Westlake compared to the broader market.
• Price Targets: Understanding forecasts, analysts offer estimates for Westlake's future value. Examining the current and prior targets provides insight into analysts' changing expectations.

Assessing these analyst evaluations alongside crucial financial indicators can provide a comprehensive overview of Westlake's market position. Stay informed and make well-judged decisions with the assistance of our Ratings Table.

Stay up to date on Westlake analyst ratings.

About Westlake

Westlake Corp is a manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, polymers, and building products. Its Performance and Essential Materials segment offers a wide range of essential building blocks for making products utilized in everyday living, including olefins, vinyl chemicals, polyethylene, and epoxies. Its Housing and Infrastructure Products segment produces key finished goods for building products, pipe and fittings, and global compounds businesses.

Breaking Down Westlake's Financial Performance

Market Capitalization: Exceeding industry standards, the company's market capitalization places it above industry average in size relative to peers. This emphasizes its significant scale and robust market position.

Revenue Growth: Over the 3 months period, Westlake showcased positive performance, achieving a revenue growth rate of 0.6% as of 31 December, 2024. This reflects a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to competitors, the company surpassed expectations with a growth rate higher than the average among peers in the Materials sector.

Net Margin: Westlake's net margin excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 0.25%. This signifies efficient cost management and strong financial health.

Return on Equity (ROE): Westlake's ROE falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in efficiently using equity capital. With an ROE of 0.07%, the company may face hurdles in generating optimal returns for shareholders.

Return on Assets (ROA): The company's ROA is a standout performer, exceeding industry averages. With an impressive ROA of 0.03%, the company showcases effective utilization of assets.

Debt Management: With a below-average debt-to-equity ratio of 0.5, Westlake adopts a prudent financial strategy, indicating a balanced approach to debt management.

Analyst Ratings: Simplified

Ratings come from analysts, or specialists within banking and financial systems that report for specific stocks or defined sectors (typically once per quarter for each stock). Analysts usually derive their information from company conference calls and meetings, financial statements, and conversations with important insiders to reach their decisions.

Some analysts publish their predictions for metrics such as growth estimates, earnings, and revenue to provide additional guidance with their ratings. When using analyst ratings, it is important to keep in mind that stock and sector analysts are also human and are only offering their opinions to investors.

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This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.