Needham & Company LLC Has Lowered Expectations for Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) Stock Price

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) had its price objective reduced by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC from $46.00 to $33.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 38.57% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group initiated coverage on Waystar in a report on Monday, December 15th. They set a “buy” rating and a $41.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Waystar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Waystar from $49.00 to $46.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Waystar in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $47.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on Waystar from $56.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.57.

Waystar Stock Up 6.3%

Shares of Waystar stock traded up $1.41 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $23.82. 5,960,535 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,503,563. The company has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a PE ratio of 38.34, a PEG ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.77. Waystar has a twelve month low of $21.13 and a twelve month high of $48.11. The company has a quick ratio of 3.89, a current ratio of 3.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.28.

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $303.54 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $294.72 million. Waystar had a net margin of 10.69% and a return on equity of 6.83%. The company’s revenue was up 24.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. Waystar has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.590-1.680 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Waystar will post 0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Waystar news, CTO Christopher L. Schremser sold 8,623 shares of Waystar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.41, for a total transaction of $262,225.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 422,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,844,302.11. The trade was a 2.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Melissa F. (Missy) Miller sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.00, for a total value of $125,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 193,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,150,657. This represents a 1.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 71,650 shares of company stock valued at $2,258,535. 4.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waystar

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waystar in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd increased its position in Waystar by 120.1% in the 3rd quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 449 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in Waystar in the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Waystar by 50.6% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waystar by 6,005.3% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,141 shares during the last quarter.

Waystar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waystar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Needham reiterated a Buy rating and $33 price target, citing AI-driven growth and solid execution — a supportive analyst view for the stock. Waystar: AI-Driven Growth and Solid Execution Underpin Buy Rating Despite Sector Valuation Pressure
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue grew ~24% to ~$304M and adjusted EBITDA/margins remained strong; FY 2025 results show solid top-line growth and healthy adjusted profitability — supports medium-term growth narrative. Waystar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results, Provides 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Waystar was named an Inc. Best in Business honoree for AI — a reputational / product endorsement that can help sales momentum in AI-enabled healthcare payments. Waystar Recognized as Inc. Best in Business for AI
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance of $1.590–1.680 was issued and revenue guidance sits around $1.3B — roughly in line with consensus, so guidance is not a surprise and is unlikely to materially re-rate estimates. Waystar Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results, Provides 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst / industry write-ups highlight a large addressable market and unconverted market share, a reminder of longer-term runway but not an immediate catalyst. Waystar Holding Corp.: A Lot Of Market Share Yet To Convert, In An Ever-Growing Market.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $0.36 missed consensus ($0.39), which is a near-term negative surprise despite the revenue beat; earnings miss can pressure multiples given valuation sensitivity. Waystar Holding (WAY) Q4 Earnings Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put-option activity (5,167 puts, +355% vs. average) indicates elevated hedging or bearish positioning; this raises short-term volatility risk and suggests some investors are skeptical despite the revenue beat.

Waystar Company Profile

Waystar (NASDAQ:WAY) is a leading provider of cloud-based revenue cycle management and payment solutions for healthcare organizations. The company’s unified platform streamlines the entire financial continuum of patient care, from eligibility verification and claim submission to payment reconciliation and patient billing. By automating key processes and improving claim accuracy, Waystar helps providers reduce administrative overhead, accelerate cash flow and enhance overall revenue performance.

At the core of Waystar’s offering is a SaaS-based architecture that integrates seamlessly with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems and payer networks.