WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX) Short Interest Update

WEX Inc. (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,130,000 shares, a growth of 163.1% from the March 15th total of 1,950,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 973,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.3 days. Currently, 13.4% of the company's stock are short sold.

WEX Trading Up 0.5 %

WEX traded up $0.65 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $123.25. The company's stock had a trading volume of 534,049 shares, compared to its average volume of 546,093. WEX has a 52-week low of $110.45 and a 52-week high of $235.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $147.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $171.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07. The firm has a market cap of $4.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.43, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.33.

WEX (NYSE:WEX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.16. WEX had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 32.35%. On average, research analysts anticipate that WEX will post 14.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on WEX shares. Citigroup downgraded WEX from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $260.00 to $190.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of WEX from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $186.00 target price on WEX in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Mizuho decreased their price target on WEX from $215.00 to $170.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on WEX from $220.00 to $200.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $187.80.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WEX

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new stake in WEX during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of WEX in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of WEX in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of WEX by 108.4% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 248 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of WEX by 161.5% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 272 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. 97.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About WEX

WEX Inc operates a commerce platform in the United States and internationally. The Mobility segment offers fleet vehicle payment solutions, transaction processing, and information management services; and provides account activation and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; account management; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions; and ancillary services and offerings.