Westlake Executive Chairman Sells 40,836 Shares for $3 Million
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 09 2026
0mins
Should l Buy WLK?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Insider Transaction: On December 22, Albert Chao, Executive Chairman of Westlake Corporation, sold 40,836 shares for approximately $3 million, reducing his direct holdings by 6.11%, indicating a cautious stance towards the market.
- Option Exercise: The shares sold were sourced from the exercise of 81,673 options, demonstrating Chao's strategy to capitalize on market opportunities while maintaining relatively stable direct ownership in the company.
- Financial Performance: Westlake reported third-quarter net sales of $2.8 billion, and despite a $727 million non-cash goodwill impairment, it continues to show profitability in housing and infrastructure products.
- Market Challenges: Westlake's stock has fallen roughly 34% over the past year, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's 17% gain, reflecting ongoing industrial demand weakness and pricing pressures impacting the company's performance materials segment.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy WLK?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on WLK
Wall Street analysts forecast WLK stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for WLK is 82.64 USD with a low forecast of 70.00 USD and a high forecast of 92.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
12 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 92.170
Low
70.00
Averages
82.64
High
92.00
Current: 92.170
Low
70.00
Averages
82.64
High
92.00
About WLK
Westlake Corporation is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and products that enhance life every day. With operations in Asia, Europe, and North America, it provides building blocks for solutions from housing and construction to packaging and healthcare to automotive and the consumer. Its segments include Performance and Essential Materials and Housing and Infrastructure Products. The Performance and Essential Materials include Westlake North American Vinyls, Westlake North American Chlor-alkali & Derivatives, Westlake European & Asian Chlorovinyls, Westlake Olefins, Westlake Polyethylene and Westlake Epoxy. The Housing and Infrastructure Products include Westlake Royal Building Products, Westlake Pipe and Fittings, Westlake Global Compounds and Westlake Dimex. Its products are used in diverse consumer and industrial markets, including residential construction, automotive products, water treatment, wind turbines, coatings as well as other durable and non-durable goods.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Top Performing Large-Cap Stocks Last Week
- Lumentum Earnings Beat: Lumentum Holdings Inc. surged 36.02% this week after reporting second-quarter results that exceeded expectations and providing third-quarter guidance above analyst estimates, thereby boosting investor confidence and significantly driving up the stock price.
- Transportation Stocks Rally: Saia, Inc. jumped 23.07% this week, benefiting from declining oil prices, which led to a strong performance across the transportation sector, indicating optimistic market expectations for transportation demand that could enhance future earnings.
- Westlake Stock Increase: Westlake Corporation saw a 19.27% rise in its stock price this week, reflecting positive market sentiment regarding its business outlook, particularly in the context of declining raw material costs that may improve profitability.
- Market Recovery: The strong performance of these stocks indicates a growing investor confidence in economic recovery, especially amid falling oil prices, which could further drive growth in related industries.
See More
Westlake Royal Showcases 2026 Building Product Innovations
- Product Innovation Showcase: Westlake Royal will unveil its latest building products at the 2026 International Builders' Show, including the new Celect V-Groove siding and TruExterior 5/8" Lap siding, aimed at meeting market demands for modern aesthetics and durability, thereby enhancing the brand's competitiveness in the construction industry.
- Trend Forecast Release: Through the TrendLine™ design trend forecast, Westlake Royal provides data-driven insights that help designers and builders grasp future design trends, further solidifying its authority in the home design trends sector.
- Design Tool Experience: Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the AI-powered Design Canvas™ tool during the show, simplifying exterior design planning and enabling builders and designers to make more confident design decisions, thus improving project planning efficiency.
- New Product Launches: Westlake Royal will introduce several new products, including the Vertälla™ accent panel and the 9-inch wide Board & Batten siding from the Royal and Exterior Portfolio lines, catering to the market's demand for personalized and high-performance building materials, thereby enhancing customer design flexibility.
See More
Wedbush Raises Ardelyx Price Target to $19 Amid Outperform Rating
- Ardelyx Price Target Raised: Wedbush increased Ardelyx Inc (NASDAQ:ARDX) price target from $16 to $19 while maintaining an Outperform rating, indicating confidence in the company's growth prospects.
- Southern Copper Rating Downgraded: UBS raised the price target for Southern Copper Corp (NYSE:SCCO) from $143 to $148 but downgraded the stock from Neutral to Sell, reflecting concerns about its short-term performance.
- Waste Management Price Target Cut: Scotiabank lowered the price target for Waste Management Inc (NYSE:WM) from $254 to $250, with analyst Konark Gupta downgrading the stock from Sector Outperform to Sector Perform, suggesting caution regarding future growth.
- Carter's Price Target Increased: Citigroup raised the price target for Carter’s Inc (NYSE:CRI) from $34 to $50 and upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy, indicating a positive outlook on its market performance.
See More
Westlake Executive Chairman Sells 40,836 Shares for $3 Million
- Insider Transaction: On December 22, Albert Chao, Executive Chairman of Westlake Corporation, sold 40,836 shares for approximately $3 million, reducing his direct holdings by 6.11%, indicating a cautious stance towards the market.
- Option Exercise: The shares sold were sourced from the exercise of 81,673 options, demonstrating Chao's strategy to capitalize on market opportunities while maintaining relatively stable direct ownership in the company.
- Financial Performance: Westlake reported third-quarter net sales of $2.8 billion, and despite a $727 million non-cash goodwill impairment, it continues to show profitability in housing and infrastructure products.
- Market Challenges: Westlake's stock has fallen roughly 34% over the past year, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's 17% gain, reflecting ongoing industrial demand weakness and pricing pressures impacting the company's performance materials segment.
See More
Westlake Corporation Chairman Sells 40,836 Shares for $3 Million
- First Open-Market Sale: Albert Chao, the Executive Chairman of Westlake Corporation, executed his first open-market sale in over three years by selling 40,836 shares for approximately $3 million, indicating a need for liquidity amid challenging market conditions.
- Source of Shares Analysis: The shares sold were derived from the exercise of 81,673 options at a price of $44.42, with roughly half sold immediately to monetize value while the remainder increased Chao's direct ownership, reflecting his confidence in the company's future.
- Market Performance Context: The shares were sold at a weighted average price of $73.57, while the stock has declined 34.25% over the past year, highlighting the challenges faced by the company due to weak industrial demand and pricing pressures, which have affected investor sentiment.
- Financial Overview: In the most recent quarter, Westlake reported net sales of $2.8 billion, and despite a $727 million non-cash goodwill impairment loss, it demonstrated ongoing profitability in housing and infrastructure products, underscoring the company's resilience in a diversified market.
See More
Westlake Acquires ACI Global Compounding Solutions Business
- Strategic Integration: Westlake has completed the acquisition of ACI/Perplastic Group's global compounding solutions business, which is expected to significantly enhance its Housing & Infrastructure Products (HIP) business and strengthen market competitiveness.
- Market Expansion: This acquisition expands Westlake Global Compounds' manufacturing footprint into Portugal, Romania, and Tunisia, enhancing its influence in the European market while complementing existing operations in Mexico.
- Technological Innovation: ACI has built a strong reputation for delivering innovative, high-value solutions, and this integration will introduce new specialty products and advanced technologies to Westlake's portfolio, addressing evolving market demands.
- Team Collaboration: Westlake welcomes ACI's skilled team, and through collaboration, it is anticipated that business growth will be driven and customer service capabilities enhanced, further solidifying its position in the global market.
See More
Top Performing Large-Cap Stocks Last Week
- Lumentum Earnings Beat: Lumentum Holdings Inc. surged 36.02% this week after reporting second-quarter results that exceeded expectations and providing third-quarter guidance above analyst estimates, thereby boosting investor confidence and significantly driving up the stock price.
- Transportation Stocks Rally: Saia, Inc. jumped 23.07% this week, benefiting from declining oil prices, which led to a strong performance across the transportation sector, indicating optimistic market expectations for transportation demand that could enhance future earnings.
- Westlake Stock Increase: Westlake Corporation saw a 19.27% rise in its stock price this week, reflecting positive market sentiment regarding its business outlook, particularly in the context of declining raw material costs that may improve profitability.
- Market Recovery: The strong performance of these stocks indicates a growing investor confidence in economic recovery, especially amid falling oil prices, which could further drive growth in related industries.
See More
Westlake Royal Showcases 2026 Building Product Innovations
- Product Innovation Showcase: Westlake Royal will unveil its latest building products at the 2026 International Builders' Show, including the new Celect V-Groove siding and TruExterior 5/8" Lap siding, aimed at meeting market demands for modern aesthetics and durability, thereby enhancing the brand's competitiveness in the construction industry.
- Trend Forecast Release: Through the TrendLine™ design trend forecast, Westlake Royal provides data-driven insights that help designers and builders grasp future design trends, further solidifying its authority in the home design trends sector.
- Design Tool Experience: Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the AI-powered Design Canvas™ tool during the show, simplifying exterior design planning and enabling builders and designers to make more confident design decisions, thus improving project planning efficiency.
- New Product Launches: Westlake Royal will introduce several new products, including the Vertälla™ accent panel and the 9-inch wide Board & Batten siding from the Royal and Exterior Portfolio lines, catering to the market's demand for personalized and high-performance building materials, thereby enhancing customer design flexibility.
See More
Wedbush Raises Ardelyx Price Target to $19 Amid Outperform Rating
- Ardelyx Price Target Raised: Wedbush increased Ardelyx Inc (NASDAQ:ARDX) price target from $16 to $19 while maintaining an Outperform rating, indicating confidence in the company's growth prospects.
- Southern Copper Rating Downgraded: UBS raised the price target for Southern Copper Corp (NYSE:SCCO) from $143 to $148 but downgraded the stock from Neutral to Sell, reflecting concerns about its short-term performance.
- Waste Management Price Target Cut: Scotiabank lowered the price target for Waste Management Inc (NYSE:WM) from $254 to $250, with analyst Konark Gupta downgrading the stock from Sector Outperform to Sector Perform, suggesting caution regarding future growth.
- Carter's Price Target Increased: Citigroup raised the price target for Carter’s Inc (NYSE:CRI) from $34 to $50 and upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy, indicating a positive outlook on its market performance.
See More
Westlake Executive Chairman Sells 40,836 Shares for $3 Million
- Insider Transaction: On December 22, Albert Chao, Executive Chairman of Westlake Corporation, sold 40,836 shares for approximately $3 million, reducing his direct holdings by 6.11%, indicating a cautious stance towards the market.
- Option Exercise: The shares sold were sourced from the exercise of 81,673 options, demonstrating Chao's strategy to capitalize on market opportunities while maintaining relatively stable direct ownership in the company.
- Financial Performance: Westlake reported third-quarter net sales of $2.8 billion, and despite a $727 million non-cash goodwill impairment, it continues to show profitability in housing and infrastructure products.
- Market Challenges: Westlake's stock has fallen roughly 34% over the past year, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's 17% gain, reflecting ongoing industrial demand weakness and pricing pressures impacting the company's performance materials segment.
See More
Westlake Corporation Chairman Sells 40,836 Shares for $3 Million
- First Open-Market Sale: Albert Chao, the Executive Chairman of Westlake Corporation, executed his first open-market sale in over three years by selling 40,836 shares for approximately $3 million, indicating a need for liquidity amid challenging market conditions.
- Source of Shares Analysis: The shares sold were derived from the exercise of 81,673 options at a price of $44.42, with roughly half sold immediately to monetize value while the remainder increased Chao's direct ownership, reflecting his confidence in the company's future.
- Market Performance Context: The shares were sold at a weighted average price of $73.57, while the stock has declined 34.25% over the past year, highlighting the challenges faced by the company due to weak industrial demand and pricing pressures, which have affected investor sentiment.
- Financial Overview: In the most recent quarter, Westlake reported net sales of $2.8 billion, and despite a $727 million non-cash goodwill impairment loss, it demonstrated ongoing profitability in housing and infrastructure products, underscoring the company's resilience in a diversified market.
See More
Westlake Acquires ACI Global Compounding Solutions Business
- Strategic Integration: Westlake has completed the acquisition of ACI/Perplastic Group's global compounding solutions business, which is expected to significantly enhance its Housing & Infrastructure Products (HIP) business and strengthen market competitiveness.
- Market Expansion: This acquisition expands Westlake Global Compounds' manufacturing footprint into Portugal, Romania, and Tunisia, enhancing its influence in the European market while complementing existing operations in Mexico.
- Technological Innovation: ACI has built a strong reputation for delivering innovative, high-value solutions, and this integration will introduce new specialty products and advanced technologies to Westlake's portfolio, addressing evolving market demands.
- Team Collaboration: Westlake welcomes ACI's skilled team, and through collaboration, it is anticipated that business growth will be driven and customer service capabilities enhanced, further solidifying its position in the global market.
See More
