On Tuesday, Barclays (LON:BARC) reiterated its Overweight rating on Westlake Chemical (NYSE: NYSE:WLK) shares with a steady price target of $180.00. The firm's analysis suggests that Westlake's underlying results were more favorable than the initial impression of the earnings report might suggest.
Despite a significant earnings miss attributed to extended maintenance and weather challenges, Barclays believes the company's strong historical performance lends it credibility among investors.
Westlake Chemical reported a roughly $128 million shortfall compared to consensus expectations, which was primarily due to a $120 million impact from extended maintenance downtime in its Polyethylene business and approximately $45 million from weather-related headwinds in its Housing and Infrastructure Products segment. Barclays pointed out that these factors might lead to an active discussion among investors regarding the company's actual performance.
The financial institution noted that while Westlake Chemical does not provide formal financial guidance, the market is expected to pay close attention to the company's conference call at 11 am ET. Investors and analysts will likely seek insights into the fourth-quarter earnings potential and how much of the lost profit might be recovered, as well as the company's earnings trajectory and capital deployment plans through 2025.
Barclays emphasized that the credibility Westlake Chemical has with its investors due to its historical track record might influence how the market responds to these temporary setbacks. The anticipation is that the company's long-term strategy and resilience will be a focal point for those evaluating its investment potential moving forward.
In other recent news, Westlake Chemical has been the focus of several analyst upgrades and adjustments. BofA Securities increased their price target for the company to $159 and upgraded the stock to Neutral, while Barclays upgraded the stock to Overweight and raised the price target to $180.
Moreover, RBC Capital Markets upgraded the stock to Outperform, with a price target of $174, and BMO Capital increased their price target to $171. However, Goldman Sachs maintained a Neutral rating with a consistent price target of $162.
The company posted record-breaking net sales of $3.2 billion and a net income of $313 million for the second quarter of 2024, primarily driven by the Housing and Infrastructure Products (HIP) segment, which experienced a 6% year-over-year margin increase to 28%. However, the Performance and Essential Materials (PEM) segment saw a slight margin decline.
Westlake Chemical has also seen changes in its executive compensation structure, specifically for Albert Chao, who transitioned from President and CEO to Executive Chairman of the Board. Chao's annual base salary has been revised to $1,019,000, with a target bonus set at 105% of his new base salary under the company's Annual Incentive Plan for 2024.
These recent developments provide insights into Westlake Chemical's performance and strategic direction.
InvestingPro Insights
Despite the recent earnings miss highlighted in the article, InvestingPro data provides additional context to Westlake Chemical's financial position. The company's market capitalization stands at $16.91 billion, with a P/E ratio of 61.82, which adjusts to 28.44 when considering the last twelve months as of Q2 2024. This suggests that investors are still pricing in growth expectations, albeit at a premium.
Westlake's revenue for the last twelve months as of Q2 2024 was $12.12 billion, with a gross profit of $1.915 billion, translating to a gross profit margin of 15.8%. While the company experienced a revenue decline of 12.55% over this period, it maintains a solid dividend yield of 1.6%, with a notable dividend growth of 47.06% in the same timeframe. This dividend increase, despite the recent challenges, may indicate management's confidence in the company's long-term financial health.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Westlake has raised its dividend for 19 consecutive years, underscoring a commitment to shareholder returns that aligns with the company's credibility mentioned in the article. Additionally, analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations upwards, which could suggest a positive outlook despite the recent setbacks discussed.
For investors seeking a deeper understanding of Westlake Chemical's prospects, InvestingPro offers 14 additional tips that could provide valuable insights into the company's financial health and future potential.
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