World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

World Kinect Corporation (NYSE:WKC) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $32.27 and last traded at $32.2850, with a volume of 49169 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $31.60.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on WKC shares. Zacks Research cut World Kinect from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised World Kinect from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen raised World Kinect from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of World Kinect from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, World Kinect presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $29.50.

World Kinect Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $28.25 and a 200 day moving average of $26.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a market cap of $1.66 billion, a PE ratio of -3.16, a PEG ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.22.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.44. The firm had revenue of $9.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. World Kinect had a negative net margin of 1.53% and a positive return on equity of 8.27%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.48 EPS. World Kinect has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.650-2.850 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that World Kinect Corporation will post 2.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

World Kinect Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from World Kinect’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. World Kinect’s dividend payout ratio is presently -7.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling at World Kinect

In other news, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 20,828 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.69, for a total transaction of $576,727.32. Following the sale, the director directly owned 40,669 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,126,124.61. This represents a 33.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Michael J. Kasbar sold 19,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.17, for a total value of $582,281.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 1,021,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,817,146.50. This trade represents a 1.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 97,928 shares of company stock worth $2,773,265. Company insiders own 3.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of World Kinect

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WKC. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC boosted its position in World Kinect by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC now owns 107,302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,514,000 after purchasing an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 52.8% in the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,261 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in shares of World Kinect by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $586,000 after buying an additional 489 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of World Kinect by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $166,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC lifted its position in World Kinect by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 10,504 shares of the company’s stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.06% of the company’s stock.

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.