Zacks Research Upgrades World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) to “Hold”

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of World Kinect from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of World Kinect in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, World Kinect currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $28.00.

World Kinect Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:WKC opened at $23.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $25.35 and a 200 day moving average of $25.17. The company has a market cap of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of -2.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.14. World Kinect has a 12-month low of $22.21 and a 12-month high of $29.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $9.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.41 billion. World Kinect had a negative net margin of 1.66% and a positive return on equity of 6.62%. World Kinect’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. World Kinect has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.200-2.400 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that World Kinect will post 2.56 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WKC. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 373.8% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,602,996 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,598,000 after acquiring an additional 1,264,684 shares during the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP raised its position in World Kinect by 30.9% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 3,845,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,106,000 after purchasing an additional 907,490 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in World Kinect by 64.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,042,766 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,060,000 after purchasing an additional 407,225 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of World Kinect during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $9,427,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its stake in shares of World Kinect by 119.5% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 702,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,226,000 after buying an additional 382,340 shares during the last quarter. 97.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About World Kinect

World Kinect Energy Services, Inc (NYSE: WKC) is a global energy services company specializing in fuel procurement, supply chain management and risk mitigation solutions. The company offers an integrated platform that facilitates the sourcing, trading and logistics of refined fuels, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy products. Its services are designed to help industrial, commercial and institutional clients optimize energy costs, comply with environmental regulations and manage price volatility.

In addition to traditional commodity trading and delivery, World Kinect provides a suite of value-added services that include carbon offset and decarbonization strategies, energy efficiency consulting and emissions reporting.